Moon and Sun
by BrDPirateMan
Summary: Ai is hopelessly in love with her close friend Makoto, but with various obstacles and awkward mistakes in the way, will she finally hook up with the guy of her dreams?
1. 1: Introduction

**Moon and Sun (Part 1)  
><strong>by BrDPirateMan

"You're gorgeous," he said to me. "Not to mention that I simply love your personality. No, I love _everything_ about you."

My heart was set a-flutter. "Oh, you flatter me. But I'm curious… Why did you take me all the way to this park on such a beautiful moonlit night?"

He looked bashful as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Well… There _is_ a reason alright…"

Then, without warning, he enveloped me in his arms, swift but gentle as always. I gasped in surprise. I hadn't expected him to do that at all, but the feeling of being pressed against his well-toned body was heavenly. Ah… bliss.

"I came here with you to tell you something really important," he said.

"Y-You mean…?"

"Yes." He took a deep breath. "I've known you for all of four years, and I must say… I love you. I want to be with you forever. Will you stay by my side?"

I looked up at his handsome face with joy sparkling in my eyes. It was hard to think up of the right thing to say to this; I was so giddy with happiness. But I blurted out the first thing on my mind in response to his confession.

"I… I love you too! Oh, you have no idea how happy this makes me!"

"I'm so happy too. …Kiss me, my love, so that we're one."

I stood on tiptoe, edging my lips closer to his. Finally, after four long years, my feelings for him were returned. Today would be the start of a new life together… and I was the happiest girl in the world…

…but all of a sudden, just before our lips met, he poked me in the forehead.

"H-Huh?"

He had eyes of love for only me, but what he said next was out of place in our romantic setting. Like, totally out of place.

"What's wrong with you? You've stopped eating all of a sudden."

That was when I was transported straight out of my daydream back into the real world, where my male friend and I had been chatting and having tea at a fast-food restaurant – Sunshine Fast Food was its name. And the hamburger he was referring to was the one I had been eating. And his finger was still stuck in my forehead.

Argh… I knew I had a propensity for daydreaming in public, but…

I pushed his finger out of the way before it could bore a hole in my head. "Okay, Makoto, I get it."

"Geez," Makoto chuckled, "it's nice to have an active imagination, but yours borders on the fantastical."

"H-Hey, this doesn't happen often, you know," I said in embarrassment. "I'm just… you know, trying to take the sting out of what happened during cheerleading practice today."

"Oh, yeah, that really sucked big-time, huh?"

I heaved a sigh of dismay. "Yeah, well, 'big-time' is an understatement."

"I can't believe you'd actually slip up doing the triangle." He took a bite out of his burger.

"It was my fault." I dug my forehead into my open palm. "Somehow I made a mistake and then we fell over each other like a pack of cards."

"A pack of cards… That's a very apt description." He smirked slightly, half of his face chipmunk-like with the food in his mouth.

"Maybe I wasn't feeling so coordinated today. Oh well." Changing the subject, I said, "You know, Makoto, you should really come to school sometime and watch us perform. It'll be fun!"

Makoto, looking smart as usual in his suit and necktie, gave a slight chuckle, "Wouldn't miss it for the world! But I'll get fired for sneaking out of work to watch a bunch of scantily-clad girls doing somersaults. That's how cheerleaders are like, right?"

"Get that stereotype outta your head, man," I chided him gently and smilingly. He could be so cute when he cracked jokes. "But I guess it can't be helped. When it comes down to it, we _are_ a bunch of scantily-clad girls doing a bunch of tricks… and that includes somersaults."

"I'm more than a little curious to see what your uniforms are like now," said Makoto mischievously. "It's been a while since I left Seiko High, you know."

Half in jest, I narrowed my eyes, dangerous and fox-like. "I had better inform the girls about you if you decide to come."

"Relax! I'm not that shallow!" he laughed, patting my arm affectionately. "By the way, before I forget…"

"Yeah?"

"What were you dreaming about anyway?"

My face grew red in an instant. I couldn't tell him that I was fantasizing about him! "I-It's nothing! Just the usual romp through a land of candy and clouds, ahaha!"

"For someone who doesn't really have much of a sweet tooth, you sure have a lot of dreams in Candyland…"

"Ahaha… Erk."

A lot of dreams in Candyland, he said… That's because I keep dreaming about him! He's kind, handsome, intelligent, near-perfect and everything. But…for all his wonderful traits, how was it that the one thing he was painfully unobservant to… was my feelings?

XOXOXOXOXO

Nice to meet you. My name is Ai.

I'm just another teenage schoolgirl suffering from the usual mix of things that made school life so challenging: homework, exams, commitments to extra-curricular clubs, and an overdose of raging hormones. The symptoms of being a teenager were so many and hardly curable.

It's just so hard on me when a guy walks into my life and I fall for him. Especially when it's someone as cool as Makoto. My brain just jumps out of my skull and takes the day off: I don't know what to do, what to think. And the fact that I'm always at a loss with romance doesn't help matters.

Seiko High was the school I attended, and it had both junior high and high school facilities. I first met him a few years ago, when I stepped into the nightmarish realm of Form One. The circumstances around our very first meeting weren't very nice.

You see, I had found myself the target of a group of bullies who were trying to make my life difficult by extorting money from me. They obviously felt like they owned the right to wipe their dirty feet on me. And at that time, I was a doormat. With the word "WELCOME" emblazoned across it.

But there was a silver lining in all that. Just as I was about to wave the white flag in pathetic defeat, Makoto came rushing over to disperse the troublemakers, who promptly left me alone and walked away, grumbling to themselves. It wasn't the ideal image where they ran for their lives screaming like they sat on an anthill, but I was more than glad that I was spared and my lunch money was intact as a bonus.

Who was this guardian angel sent from heaven? I remember how he fussed over me, asking me if I was physically hurt anywhere or if there was a need for me to go see the school nurse. After he made sure I was totally fine and we parted ways, I felt good for the rest of the day. But it wasn't love. He was cool, but I didn't fall for him right away. He was just a kind stranger helping someone in need.

Being a freshie in a new environment with no friends was a harsh time. Lunchtime was awkward for me because there was no one whom I could sit with. What was it about us new kids that everyone was allergic to? They didn't even want to get within a two-yard radius of us. Every time I chowed down it was always by myself, at least for a while until I met Mina, but that's another story.

It was the Thursday of my very first week in Seiko High, and again my table was empty except for me. Eating alone felt weird in the cafeteria where every table was fully occupied. I always thought that people were staring at me for being so… different. Stress was quickly getting to me and though I tried to shrug it off as best as I could, it wasn't easy. All those Zen mantras that I recited over and over inside my head did little to help, if at all.

Can you even start to imagine how hard it was to picture a serene riverbank with accompanying waterfall and clean crisp air, when the smell of bad canteen food was constantly wafting my nose?

Then something unexpected happened. I perceived a presence near me and looked up at the face of the person in question. It took me a while to recognize him as he gave me a small smile.

"Well, what are the odds that I'd see you again?" he said.

It was my saviour from a few days back. I mumbled, "You… You're the one who… helped me out?"

He didn't reply to my question, instead asking, "Mind if I sit here? You look like you could use some company."

Company was exactly what I was looking for all this time. I would have preferred sitting with a girl, but my intuition told me that he wasn't a bad person, so I didn't hesitate. "Sure. And yeah, it does get lonely eating like this."

"You must be new here," he said, plopping down on a seat opposite me. He had on his tray a can of juice and a bowl of… uh, a non-descript soup-like substance with unidentified chunks of something floating around in it (canteen food was more horrible than I imagined; welcome to high school!).

"Good guess." I tried to make out which parts of my lunch were edible. "But how did you know?"

"I haven't seen you around here before."

Astonishment gripped me. "Do you actually memorise the faces of each and every student here?"

He laughed. "Well, if I could do that, I'd memorise all of my textbooks so that exams would be a piece of cake!" I cringed a bit as I watched him take a quick bite of the solid part of his soup. "But no, I've just been here long enough to know who's a freshman and who isn't. It also helps that I'm in the Student Council and I get to meet everyone!"

"Oh yeah, you're in the Council, I see." I had been eyeing the small cloth band that was wrapped around the sleeve of his left arm and pinned in place. So it as true; he _was_ a Council member… not too shabby. "Aren't you always busy though?"

"Kind of, yeah. We have to manage a lot of the clubs and such. It's really stressful sometimes! And don't get me started on the Extreme Sports Club… They're always giving me headaches left and right… Eh, let's talk about me later. Let's hear about you."

"Me? I-I'm just afraid that I'll be a snoozer."

"Nah, c'mon, tell me about yourself. Oh, how rude of me to not ask for your name! Care to share?"

My heart skipped a beat. He was friendly and not stuck-up and had a pleasant face, but what was it about guys like him that was so intimidating? Was it his personality? Or his confidence? Or how he could still look okay eating from a bowl of… whatever?

Something about him was attractive; there was no denying that. However, this wasn't the part where I began to fall for him, because he was still at best an acquaintance. But I never really had much success with the opposite sex, due in no small part to my tendency to get flustered at the most inopportune of times. So him asking for my name was kind of sudden… I wasn't prepared at all…

"Um, hello?" he waved a hand in my face, breaking my chain of thoughts. "Earth to… um, new kid in school?"

"Sorry!" I blurted, a little too loudly. With my cheeks reddening slightly from embarrassment, I finally answered his question. "I'm… I'm Ai."

"I'm Makoto Miki, but you can call me Mick if you like, 'cause that's kind of like my nickname 'round these parts."

"Miki-sempai, huh?"

"Oh, please." He held up one open palm. "That's too formal. I may be your upperclassman, but let's do away with the 'sempai' bit. Just call me Makoto or Mick. That'll be good enough."

"B-But you're a senior…" I wasn't used to calling upperclassmen by their first names.

"It's not too hard. Seriously, just call me that. I like it better that way. Anyway, it's nice meeting you, Ai."

"Yeah, it's good to meet you too, Makoto!"

The rest was history.

Eventually, I did manage to make some friends, most notably Mina, who would become my most trusted bosom buddy. I still thought at first that Makoto would just remain as a very friendly acquaintance at best, but the thing that amazed me the most was he didn't just leave me be once he knew I had better bearings in school. He actually made a conscious and periodic effort to ask about my welfare, and to make sure that I didn't feel like a fish out of water. As part of the Student Council, it was his job to be sure that his fellow students were happy and satisfied with their time on campus.

There were times when he would pop his head into class during recess to see if I was around. If I was, he might ask me to accompany him for lunch. Other times we would meet in the hallway and get to talking. Every time I met him it was under pleasant circumstances.

But eventually, I thought his concern about me was very strange. Surely there had to be some ulterior motive? He didn't look like the evil sort, but you never know…

According to Mina, she heard that it's always been his nature to be caring and helpful to everyone. But my gut feeling told me otherwise. Could it be that he really wanted to be more than just someone to wave at when I passed him by in the hallway?

Could it be that he truly wanted to be… my friend?

Eventually, we became so close that he had reached the status of "awesome non-threatening male friend". I became so comfortable with him that hanging out with him was almost like doing the same thing with one of my gal pals.

Little by little, I found myself drawn ever closer to him, as I discovered more about his personality, his personal creeds and goals, his family background and whatnot… And no, I was not a stalker. Do I look like that sort of person?

Being the hopeless romantic that I was and still am, falling in love with Makoto didn't take too long at all. There had been a few lapses where I would meet a cute guy and be enamoured with him for awhile, but those were relatively short-lived crushes that were over quickly and almost immediately replaced by my infatuation with Makoto. Ah… he was the one blossom in a field of grass. …Funny how I'm comparing flowers to a guy, though.

He was just perfect. Or if there was a word that would better describe his goodness, it would be that.

A year later he graduated from Seiko High and applied for a job at a company that was kind enough to take him in and give him a working scholarship: this would allow him to simultaneously work and study his diploma course in business administration. He managed to finish his course in one year and a half, and then he was ready to take on the real world. Now he's working in a company that deals with graphic design, managing the number-crunching side of things.

But even when he wasn't a Seiko High student anymore, we still kept in touch with each other, hanging out, having tea in a simple but ambient ramen house. But dates they were not.

I wished they were, though.

Apparently Makoto only thought of me as a really good friend, or even something of a little sister. Many times I had wanted to tell him what I truly felt for him, but I was held back by the possibility that if I did, and he didn't reciprocate my feelings, we could no longer be friends.

I didn't want to lose him… he was the best guy friend I had ever met!

If only he could see into the depths of my soul, caged in a prison of love… Ugh! Not another display of Shakespearean nonsense!

XOXOXOXOXO

The orange sky signified that the evening was rolling in. I knew I was getting late and my strict, insanely overprotective parents would be mad at me, but the sunset was so mesmerizing that I couldn't tear my eyes away from it. It was the perfect thing to look at while I mulled over my one-sided romance with Makoto.

I found a bench to sit in and watched the last of the skateboarders leave Miyashita Park, having finished practicing their tricks. Very soon, the park was like a desert, devoid of people with the exception of lonely ol' me.

"Hey, Makoto…" I whispered to myself, "What do you think of me?"

It was incredibly peaceful letting the warm rays of the sun wash over my face while I listened to the noisy scratchy call of the cicadas. I wished I could stay frozen in that moment in time for as long as I wanted. The fresh air, the serenity of the view, the disconnection from reality… everything was a joy to all of my senses.

And then someone had to come along and spoil it.

All of a sudden I felt strong arms wrap around me from behind in a tight embrace. I screamed.

"Wh-Who are you?"

"Heh heh heh…" The intruder had a deep, if weird-sounding voice and he was using it to breathe into my ear. "My precious… be mine and I'll teach you lots of wonderful things…"

Gah! I was struggling to get him off of me but it was no good. It was like his arms were made of iron. Out of desperation, I swung my hand over my shoulder for a blind reverse karate chop. The rock-hard edge of my hand smacked satisfyingly into what I figured was the head of the attacker, who gave a startled and pained cry.

"HNGH!" He let go of me in an instant. "H-Hey! What's the big deal, Ai?"

Even as I was spinning around to confront the pervert, I was wondering why his voice suddenly become more feminine. I mean, it was high-pitched, and as much as it gave me the chills, it was cute.

But when I saw his face, I understood.

And it wasn't a _he_; it was a _she_.

I sighed, "Mina, that was creepy."

"And that hurt so much, you dummy!" she cried, going into a long series of "ow's" and "ouches".

This girl was my best friend Mina, a pretty girl with short raven hair, a lively attitude, and a sweater perpetually wrapped around her waist. …She also had a knack for bad comedy; her jokes were crummy, and on the few occasions she would play a prank, like now, they were tasteless.

She was rubbing her nose where, apparently, I must have hit her. "You're no fun!" she said bitterly. "I was just going to pretend I'm Makoto for a bit and see how you would react!"

"And that's supposed to achieve what?"

"I just wanted to see you go all red and 'OMG-Makoto-just-said-he-loves-me'…! Thought it'd be fun."

"Well, just for the record, nothing's happening between us."

"What'd you mean? I thought I caught a glimpse of you and Makoto in Sunshine Fast Food… The sight of the two of you together was simply adorable! Or was I mistaken?"

"You weren't mistaken, but we were just having tea as… friends." My sad gaze fell to the floor between my shoes. "They don't count as dates if the guy doesn't know that you love him…"

"Oh dang," she said, her tone apologetic. "Sorry about that. I had no idea…" She clambered over to join me on the bench and promptly gave me a hug – a genuine one between BFF's – to cheer me up. Thankful for the support, I hugged her back. "I… thought to tease you a bit, but I didn't know you haven't hooked up with him yet. I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. It's partly my fault, I guess, for being such a coward. We've known each other for so long but I never found the courage to tell him about how I feel." My lips parted to let out a sigh as I slumped in the bench.

"Why don't you just tell him? I mean, you've had plenty of chances by now."

"Four years…" I raked my fingers through my long chocolate locks. "Can't believe it's been four years since I first met him."

There had been many things that kept me busy during this time span, including studies, club activities and the occasional trip to 104 to indulge in shopping, every girl's vice. With so many matters occupying my life, there were few chances where I could confess to Makoto. The sad thing (and I mean sad as in both unfortunate and lame) was that whenever an opportunity presented itself, I would chicken out and it would get wasted.

"I really, really want to tell him!" I said. "But I'm just scared I'll screw up."

"But you can't just go round in circles forever, you know. It's tiring. Not to mention, well, lame."

"Th-The 'lame' bit was uncalled for, Mina!"

She bit her lip and looked to the skies, deep in thought. Then her eyes lit up, as though a light bulb turned on inside her head. "I've got it, Ai!"

"Wh-What? You got what? A fever?"

"No, stupid!" she snapped indignantly. "I'm talking about the Hachi Fest! It's coming up in a week's time! Remember?"

Shibuya had a tradition. Every year the citizens would hold the Hachi Fest, in honour of the loyal dog Hachiko. The famous Statue of Hachiko would become the main attraction as thousands of people flocked over to participate in a slightly weird ritual, where you could rub the statue for luck. If you rubbed it in the right spot, you would be blessed with good fortune for the rest of the year. However, if you touched the wrong spot, you would be cursed. Few people knew or cared what "curse" meant in this context, but it's a strong word either way and it was good enough to make everyone extra careful about where to touch it.

This bizarre ritual was the main event, but to further liven up the atmosphere there was always a multitude of booths selling Japanese delicacies or hosting a variety of games. So the Hachi Fest wasn't just some silly event where all you did was pet a stone dog. It was a fully-fledged festival in its own right.

"The Hachi Fest? That's awesome!" I squealed, temporarily forgetting about my romantic plight. "You know much I _heart_ the Hachi Fest! I can't wait to feast on their deluxe dumplings!"

"Yeah…" Mina was already drooling, staring off in the distance in a dream-like state. "And _takoyaki_ and shrimp rolls and chicken kebabs and…"

"Whoa, time out, Mina," I said, stopping her in time before she could drench herself stupid in her own saliva. "What was it you wanted to say?"

"Ah, yes. You see, the Hachi Fest is famous for a number of things. But do you know what really draws people in?"

I hadn't the slightest clue of what Mina was getting at. "I don't know. What is it?"

She spoke in a hushed tone to amplify the mystery of it all. "Many people go to the Hachi Fest not for the food, or the statue. They go for…" Her voice trailed off, as though to prompt me to guess.

"Well, what?" I said, getting impatient. "C'mon, tell me already!"

"Love," she said with a grin. "Maybe you weren't aware of this, but many a couple has hooked up successfully at the Hachi Fest. You can't deny that something about it has an effect on people. It's the perfect occasion for a first date!"

"Oh, that's great," I remarked, still not getting what she wanted to really say. There was something, I knew. Something she wanted to share with me… definitely more than just a piece of trivia about this festival being a fantastic hangout spot for budding lovebirds.

"So what I'm saying is… if you invite Makoto to come along with you, then you can put the moves on him, and he's yours – nice, easy and trouble free! Well, almost."

Ah, so that was it. I kind of figured that out, and in all truth, it was a good idea. If I confessed to him about my feelings at the Fest, maybe the chances of success and a happy ending would increase. Maybe. There was no guarantee that it would work, but it was definitely worth trying out. The Fest was fun, anyway. All I needed was that first step and everything would fall into place nicely.

"Hmmm… Yeah, that might work…" I muttered.

"Why do you seem so unenthusiastic about it?" asked Mina, cross, "Shouldn't this be the part where you get all hyper and say stuff like, 'Oh yes! It's a fabulous plan! Mina, you're the bestest friend in the world! Let me treat you to a week's supply of sundaes!'?"

"A week of what?"

Mina sighed and pretended to look disappointed. "So much for gratitude… (There goes my free ice cream…) Well, anyway, bring him along! That way, something good is bound to happen!"

"Um… but how do I confess to him? What do I say? What do I do?"

She looked at me with raised eyebrows, incredulous, "You mean you don't have an idea of what you should do?"

"No, not really," I said, gulping. "Did I say something weird?"

"All this time I thought you had a plan and that you just didn't go through with it because of a lack of guts. But I never for once thought you were a newbie at the whole confession thing."

"Ugh, spare me the sarcasm, Mina," I sighed, feeling even more guilty over the past four years of failures. "Wait, does this mean you've confessed before?"

"No, but I've watched enough sappy romantic dramas on TV to know how it goes."

Exasperated, I grumbled, "Soap operas aren't realistic, Mina! They're no yardstick!"

"And I say a dumb idea is better than none!" she retorted coolly.

Sometimes this girl had a very strange way of thinking. "Mina… You have things the wrong way around, but… never mind."

She took my hands in hers and with genuine concern, she said, "Look, I wanna help you get together with Makoto. Maybe I tell terrible jokes and show up late in class and copy your math homework sometimes…" Well, how true those three things were, especially the last one. "…but you and I are the best of friends, Ai. Aren't friends supposed to help each other? It's not like you're the only person in the world, you know."

Mina wasn't exactly the most reliable person when it came to getting things done, not because she was lazy or anything. But with her bumbling personality she had the tendency to come up with completely crazy and ludicrous plans. If they didn't give terrible results, then they almost always ended in utter failure. Yes, her heart was always in the right place. But my trepidation upon considering the implications of her helping me was understandable.

However, just this once, I decided to throw caution to the wind and go along with her grand plan. It was very risky and hardly comforting that I had everything to lose, but it was still worth a try.

"Alright, Mina, you're calling the shots here. Please help me!"

"Great!" she chirped, grinning broadly. "You can count on me!"

"So what do we do?"

"Right, listen up, Ai," she said, becoming visibly excited, "We need to use the 'creeping snake' approach!"

"Um… is that a good thing?" I was already starting to worry. This had better not be another one of her harebrained schemes… Creeping snake? Was that a ninja stealth tactic? Was she going to tell me to sneak into Makoto's home and jump him?

"Theoretically, it's very simple. Even if he's your very close friend, you can't just walk right up to him and say it in his face. It'll just freak him out. So you've got to drop hints to show that you like him… until he gets the message!"

"H-Hints?" I gulped, "You mean, like in flirting?"

"Exactly! Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not telling you to go dress up in skin-tight leather and stuff… though that certainly helps. But plenty of other cues would go a long way!"

"But I can't do that! Wouldn't that make me look like one of those loose women often seen prowling the streets at night?"

Mina sighed. "Girl, chill. It's nothing scandalous. You're not doing anything like lap dances on him. It's just a bunch of harmless little signs to gradually show him before you go for the coup de grace. That's why it's called 'creeping snake': you creep up on your prey bit by bit until you deliver the final strike or he gives in. And of course by final strike I mean the moment when you proclaim your love for him."

She was rubbing her hands together and chuckling with a slightly demented air about her, like she was a mad scientist. I didn't know whether I was in for a good deal or a tremendous disaster.

"I'll give you some suggestions," she continued, "but at the end of the day it's up to you to follow through with it, okay?"

"Creeping snake… It sounds so weird… but thanks, Mina. I appreciate it. Maybe I might just be able to do it."

"Heh, don't thank me just yet," she smirked, "Let's see if you can pull it off and get the guy!"

Would I be able to succeed with this plan? So much hung in the balance…


	2. 2: Hachi Fest, Part One

**Moon and Sun (Part 2)  
><strong>by BrDPirateMan

Armed with Mina's secret flirting techniques, which I hoped would work, and what I thought was a whole lot more confidence than usual, I gave Makoto a call the very next day to invite him to come with me to the Hachi Fest, where I hoped I could confess my feelings to him once and for all.

But even with my newfound bravery, this was the first time I ever asked a guy out, and it was quite scary. Weren't men supposed to take the initiative? Granted, this was the 21st century, where role reversals were commonplace in society, but it still felt weird for a girl like me to make the first move.

"Hello?" came his voice at the other end of the line. I panicked for a moment and almost forgot to say hello.

"Hi Makoto, it's me, Ai."

"Ai! What's up, homegirl?"

He was happy to hear from me, and once greetings were over and done with, I settled down to business. However, the very first step in Operation Creeping Snake turned out to be much harder than I anticipated.

"Got a minute to spare?" I asked.

"Sure, but I'm still working, so please make it quick."

"M-Makoto," I began, quickly getting the nerves, "S-S-See, um, I… There's… uh… Th-Th-There's this H-H-H-Hachi F-F-Fe – (cough! cough!) oh, 'scuse me…"

"Ai? What's wrong? You don't sound yourself," he said, concerned as ever about me, perhaps even more so this time, after hearing me stammer like I was doped on too much chocolate ice cream. Seriously, that stuff is so good, I swear it can induce hallucinations.

No, no, no, no! I had to calm myself down! With enough mental effort to move ten cars, I cleared my throat and managed to speak in a decidedly less rabid manner.

"Makoto, um… D-Do you know about th-the Hachi Fest?"

"The Hachi Fest? Of course I do! It's next week, right?"

"Uh, yeah! S-So I was wondering… uh… c-could you… no, I mean, are you going?"

"Yeah!" There was that omnipresent smile of his in his voice. "I'd be a fool to miss it!"

"Really? Great! No, I mean, um, that's good to know. Y-You see, I was thinking… um…"

"Yes?"

"I was… well, uh, I was…" I was what? Oh no! Suddenly my brain froze over again! As silly as it may sound, I actually temporarily forgot what I was going to say again! And it was at the most inopportune time too! "Makoto, c-could you give me another minute? I… uh… I think the… well… I left the stove on! I gotta turn it off!"

"Um… okay?" He must have thought how strange the conversation had just become.

No one was cooking anything at that time of course, but like an idiot, I actually ran to the stove anyway to take care of the nonexistent kitchen disaster. I leaned against the refrigerator, trying my best to reorganize my hopelessly cluttered mind in less than sixty seconds.

Makoto was a patient guy, but even he had his limits. "Hey, Ai, looks like you got other things to worry about for now. Maybe I'll call you after work…"

"Wait, no!" Cripes, I couldn't let this chance go to waste just like this! "Makoto, hold on! This is quite important! I… I…" What was it that I wanted to say again? ! Oh yeah, the Hachi Fest! Silly me!

The guy of my dreams was going to hang up on me if I didn't say it now! And if he did, that would mean the end of yet another fruitless attempt at capturing his heart. Mina was so enthusiastic about this, too. I couldn't simply disappoint her by failing at this relatively simple task. But more than anything, I didn't want to disappoint _myself_ anymore. With startling carelessness, I blurted it out.

"Makoto, um, I was just wondering if you would like to come with me to the Hachi Fest!"

I finally said it! But it wasn't over yet. He had yet to give his okay. Then fear gripped me and squeezed my heart into a pulp. What if he had already made plans with a bunch of his work buddies to have a fun night out on that day? Then I would seem out of place with them. And to lead him away from his pack so I could be alone with him would be just horrible of me.

Or… what if… there was a girl at work that he fancied… the ideal office worker's dream… I could almost visualize her. A stunning woman in a stylish jacket and mini-skirt, touting credentials and a great personality… Compared to such a hot babe, I was nothing more than a high school brat whose greatest achievement was being a cheerleader… and still sucking at it.

It didn't take chicken brains to know which one he would choose.

So it was to my pleasant surprise when he had this to say: "And all this time I'd been wondering if I'd have to attend the Fest alone! That's splendid, Ai. I'll go with you!"

Huh?

"Y-You'll go out with – no, I mean, you'll come with me?"

"Why not?" said Makoto, evident from the tone of his voice that his mood was even better now. "I don't have any plans for Hachi Fest. I was actually thinking of just buying some food from the stalls and going back home! But I think if you come along it'll be even more fun."

_Ba-bump._ That was the sound of my heart skipping a beat, or was it shutting down? Was he actually happy to have me tag along? This wasn't a mistake, was it? I could feel the heat spreading across my face.

"Really? Gee, um, th-thanks, Makoto! I'm so glad you could come!"

"You're not going together with Mina this year?" he asked, out of curiosity.

"Oh, not this time," I replied, my speech less chopped up now that the first hurdle had been cleared. "She's attending the Fest, but I just wanted to… um, hang out with you for a change! Besides, I think she's more interested in the food. And I'm not really all for the food tour thing, so… ahahaha…"

"Same old Mina," he chuckled. "Ever the gastronomical connoisseur."

I joined in the laughter. "Her stomach is well-known among everyone for being bottomless.

"Anyway, Makoto," I asked him, just to be sure, "are you certain you want to come with me?"

"Of course," he said cheerily. "It's a date!"

Makoto was just joking with that last sentence. Either that, or he… really liked me? No, that couldn't be it. But I was blushing so furiously that I thought the skin on my face would melt.

"Right, Makoto, I'll see you next Saturday at, oh… six in the evening?"

"I'll drive you there," he offered, causing my body to seriously heat up now. How much redder could my face get? He wanted to drive me to the Hachi Fest? ! Then it would be just the two of us alone in his car during the trip! He didn't even have to do that. I could walk there because it wouldn't take more than five minutes at most. But the fact that he wanted to… what could it possibly mean? !

"N-No, it's okay, you don't need to go through all that trouble! Wh-Wh-What with fuel prices on the r-rise and everything…"

"Oh, no, I insist," he said firmly, with that disarming charm of his. "You'll be tired from walking… Uh-oh, I can't talk for too long. My boss will get mad at me." He hesitated for a second before finishing off the conversation, "Pick you up at 6 next Saturday, Ai!"

"Wha? Um, well, if you're okay with it… But…"

"Sorry, gotta hang up for now," he said, "Talk to you later! Bye!"

Then all I heard was a soft beeping sound. The call had ended. He sure seemed to be in a hurry… Was his boss that scary?

I felt my head spinning, and my body was swaying. My legs turned to jelly and crumpled under my weight, causing me to slide down the refrigerator like a slippery eel. I sat on the kitchen floor where I slumped, trying to regain my frazzled senses as I replayed the entire conversation from the beginning to see where I could have improved my approach. Apart from the fact that I was ridiculously nervous, that is…

So many things had happened that I needed to digest, and it was all so much to take in all at once that it was akin to cramming all of my textbooks and study notes five minutes before the final exam. And I had studied nothing prior to that.

Just for the record, I'm a hardworking girl and I was so careful with my studies that this sort of thing would never happen. Well, maybe it would to Mina, but I digress.

Everything about how our night out at the Hachi Fest would play out… didn't that sound like a typical date? But even though it was so cliché and corny, that mattered little. After all, the most important thing was that it worked! It wasn't smooth-flowing and perfect like in a Mills and Boon novel, but it really, actually worked. The procedure for setting up a date may have changed a few rules over the years, but for the most part it had stood the test of time!

Heck, why was I making such a big fuss about this? All I did was ask a simple question. Hmmm, well okay, maybe not so simple.

And thinking about how handsome Makoto would look in a yukata sent shivers down my spine. My imagination ran wild, conjuring up images of us in robes, walking together… sharing a stick of cotton candy… Maybe there might be a speck of it on his cheek, and I'd lick it off seductively… We'd retreat to a shady spot under a tree… Hold each other close… Lean our faces in… and…

I squealed. "Eeeek! What am I thinking? Stop it already, me!" That mental image was too much! But it was incredibly tantalizing and simply thinking about it felt good. I was shivering with delight as I wrapped my arms around myself, giggling like my sanity had taken a long vacation. My body temperature rose to dangerous levels. I felt so hot! When I pulled the collar of my top away from my sweaty neck, I felt a rush of steam and warm air _whoosh_ right into my face.

Had I done it? Had I accomplished the impossible? Did I deserve a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for "Longest Time Taken To Get A Boyfriend"? No, wait, we hadn't officially started dating yet.

In the meantime, I guess I could gun for "Deepest Blush". I was almost certain I would get into the darn book.

Ha ha! Success! Take that, Imaginary Office Lady! I'm leagues better than you! Who said cheerleaders like me had no chance with a successful businessman like Makoto?

XOXOXOXOXO

"I'm so glad that I got to spend the evening with you, Ai," said Makoto, his arm wrapped around my shoulder.

No words could quite describe how happy I was to be together with the guy of my dreams – just the two of us – strolling past the rows of stalls and games booths. There was a great many people and the atmosphere was rowdy like there was no tomorrow, but somehow I tuned out all this noise so that all that was left was a soft peaceful murmur.

"Oh, Makoto," I sighed dreamily, "I had so much fun tonight. Thank you for accompanying me."

"I should be the one thanking you," he said, gazing into my soul, "If it weren't for you, I'd be cooped up in my apartment, eating reheated leftovers and watching reruns of boring films on TV!"

"Aw, you poor thing," I pouted, pawing his arm playfully. "I'll make you a nice _bento_ (lunch box) to bring to work one of these days. How about it?"

"Wow, um, Ai," he breathed, gently grasping my shoulders in both his hands. "Oh man, I'd love to taste your cooking."

"Would you like omelettes in it?"

"I'd like _you_."

"Huh? !"

My heart was on spin cycle. As he stroked my cheek ever so softly, I could feel it warming up to his touch. His eyes flashed with a mixture of mischief and seduction. "You're very beautiful, Ai," he muttered, nuzzling his mouth against my earlobe, obviously loving the effect his actions were having on me. That virulent naughtiness of his as he whispered sweet nothings into my ear at such close proximity… The feeling was indescribably sensational.

"M-Makoto, we're in a public place…" I whimpered, my body going limp in his arms as he embraced me. He shouldn't be doing something this risqué in full view of everyone, but he didn't seem to care. He wanted me now.

"Ai…" With the gentlest of touches, he raised my face to his. His warm breath raked my skin and my eyes fluttered shut both in trepidation and anticipation.

"No, wait, Makoto…" My pleas fell on deaf ears. Just a couple of seconds more, and his lips would press onto mine… As much as I loved him, getting to this stage was a bit too fast for my taste.

"No!" I shrieked, refusing to open my eyes, "S-Stop!"

Suddenly there was silence. An empty, pregnant and awkward silence fell over the whole world. Nothing happened. My lips were still intact. Did Makoto stop in time? I cracked one eye open, expecting him to be disappointed, or heaven forbid, irritated.

But only the math teacher stood in front of me, giving me a soft whack in the head with a textbook.

"Ai," she scolded, "what is the meaning of shouting in my class?"

"Whuh?"

"You shouted in my class! What is with you?"

Like a scene out of an embarrassing dream, I realized that I wasn't at the Hachi Fest. I was at school, sitting at my table in the middle of a math class. Somehow I must have started daydreaming and this happened.

"S-Sorry," I mumbled, mortified beyond words.

And while the teacher sighed in annoyance, the other forty students in my class laughed at me.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! ! !"

_I can't stand it…_was the only thing on my mind. I felt like crawling into a hole and never coming out.

XOXOXOXOXO

Lunchtime was spent with Mina in a relatively unseen corner table at the cafeteria. The chefs had whipped up a weird-looking soup – cream of something – and it looked less than palatable, but I cared little. I just wanted to fill my stomach and get out of that crowded place as fast as I could. The embarrassment I brought upon myself had not subsided and all I wanted was to get the heck out of school and go home to sulk.

Mina, being the best friend I could ever ask for, was truly sympathetic. Because she understood my situation all too well, she didn't laugh at me. I thought I detected the occasional laughter-preceding "pfff" coming from her, but it could have been a stifled sneeze. Or at least that's what I'd prefer to think of it as.

At least she was polite enough to not make things any worse than they already were. "You were dreaming about Makoto again, I presume?" she asked, though not in an unkind way.

"Gold star for you," I sighed.

She popped a forkful of vegetables into her mouth. "I can't believe this is the third time that has happened, Ai. You're getting quite the reputation as the Daydream Queen!'"

"Ugh… that's the last thing I want…"

"I guess the Hachi Fest has really made you all so excited, huh."

"It's tomorrow, actually," I said, poking at my soup and wondering it was actually milkshake in disguise. "No matter how many times I tell myself to concentrate during class, it's just so hard."

We happened to spot a few girls from our class sitting on the table opposite us, and they were giggling and snorting, obviously at my self-inflicted mishap from earlier. Mina snapped around and shot them a fierce glare, after which they quieted down but nonetheless continued snickering, trying their hardest to hold it in.

"That's all I can think about," I continued. "My hair is splitting from the tension. Will I make it? I can't stop asking myself that."

"It's gonna be okay, Ai!" Mina consoled me, patting me on the arm affectionately. "You're pretty and smart… there's no way Makoto wouldn't like you. You've totally got a chance with him!"

"…Thanks, Mina. If you say it like that, it makes me feel a whole lot better."

"I'm behind you the whole time, friend. It's time to put an end to being single! Just follow my tips on the art of seduction and you'll be just fine." Then as an afterthought, she added, "But I must warn you, I haven't tried them out for myself… I mean, most of them I got from the Internet, but… oh well."

"I think your advice should be fine, but…"

"But…?"

"C-Can I ditch the part where I lick his face and wrap my legs around him? I am _not_ doing that." A shudder shook my frame as I cringed at the thought.

Nonchalantly, she replied, "Oh, you can do that for when you finally say to Makoto that you love him. Nothing beats a good hug to seal the deal, right?"

"That's way too much for a 'hug'!"

XOXOXOXOXO

It was 5:50 pm on the much-awaited evening of the Hachi Fest, and I had spent the past thirty minutes getting myself dolled up for what might be billed as the biggest night of my life. Um, no, not _that_ kind of night…

I was clad in the finest kimono I could find and, perhaps most importantly, afford – as a student with a limited allowance, there wasn't much I could spend on. Then again, if I had not spent the majority of it on tank tops and skirts at 104, I would have a little more cash for myself…

Even with the discount, though, my wallet was now pretty much empty…

But the kimono was an elegant piece of work. It was coloured in a soothing navy blue, and an intricate golden floral design ran down the side like a dragon. Whoever made it was a genius. My room became my catwalk as I took my time twirling and pirouetting and winking at my reflection in the full-length mirror. Hot darn, I looked good! It was form-fitting but strangely comfortable. There was no way Makoto could take his eyes off me now.

One last inspection of my outfit and a final prayer for good luck and I was ready to paint the town.

Downstairs in the foyer, passersby were taking second glances at me. Granted, kimonos were a common thing in Japan, but the one I was wearing happened to be a very striking one. I was actually feeling pretty confident while I was awaiting Makoto's arrival. Heh, I couldn't wait to see the stupefied look on his face. That would be classic, not to mention cute! And of course there would be the shower of compliments, and the attention, and… ah… bliss.

Just then, a white sedan pulled up. I recognized it as Makoto's company car and scampered over with small but quick steps. "Yo," he called as he wound down the window of the passenger seat, "Sorry if I took long!"

"Oh, no, I only just came downstairs!" I said. Seeing him through the open window, I paused in my tracks, mouth agape.

"Something wrong, Ai?" he said, wondering what had come over me.

Instead of the slate-grey business suit that he was often seen in, he was wearing a sleek yukata as black as the night sky. The front was slightly open, revealing a bit of his chest. Could it be that underneath those clothes of his, all he was wearing was his underwear? Ack! What was I doing, thinking such perverted thoughts at a time like this? And in any case, _everyone_ is naked underneath their clothes, so what was I making such a big fuss about? !

But… something about his simple yukata enhanced his perfect beauty even more… he looked so much more handsome somehow…

"Ai!" His voice shattered my train of thoughts. "You've… You've got a nosebleed!"

"Oh…!" My hand tried in vain to contain the blood that was leaking out of my nose, and I was trying not to get any of it on my kimono. What a pain… But how could I help it if Makoto looked so hot in that outfit? !

"Here!" He handed me a tissue. "Come on, hop in. And how'd you get a nosebleed anyway?"

"I… I don't know either." I got inside the car in two seconds flat. As we drove off, I was having trouble repressing my urges. Hormones could wreak so much havoc! I couldn't stand it! We were alone in his car and he was sitting very close to me. It would be so easy to reach out and caress his arm. It looked like he worked out and I wanted to know how big his muscles were.

But this wasn't the time for such things. Besides, if I did that, he might freak out, lose control of his vehicle, and the place for our next date would be the great hall in the sky.

"I don't usually drive," he said. "You know me, Ai. I'm an environmentalist. I take the bus to and from work, and only use this company car if I really need to. Sometimes when I'm in the mood, I walk. It's just something I'm cool with, you know? And… um, you're awfully quiet, Ai." He had a hint of worry in his voice. "You okay? That nosebleed looked pretty serious."

"Um, I'm fine, really! It's just…"

"Just what?"

Shoot! Why did I have to say the last two words? ! Now he wouldn't let go until he had an answer. The evening had not even started and here I was backed into a corner already. What could I do to escape the awkwardness? Suddenly, for no reason at all, one of Mina's devious tips popped up inside my head.

"Compliment him, Ai. It's one of the easiest ways to his heart," she had told me, "Don't overdo it, though. You don't want to appear like a brownnoser or something."

Yeah, I found my way out! I could just say, "It's just that you look amazing in your yukata." It was perfect! I could score points with him and solve my problem at the same time.

Alas, the outcome was way different. Stricken by a rebellious tongue, the words came out wrongly.

"Well, it's just that you look abrasive with your katana."

Makoto froze. "I look what in my what? !"

Oh no! ! ! "Urk! Um um um I mean to say that you've got glazing on your Beretta."

He grew even more alarmed. "Ai, what's with you? Are you truly okay? You don't sound… right. You're not ill, are you?"

"I-I… D-Don't worry about me!" I stammered, "I'm… I'm just peeling eggs and toast for this crazy fest." Half a second too late I realized my blunder. My original words were meant to be "I'm just feeling excited about this Hachi Fest."

"Um… okay? That's… interesting…" Makoto didn't know what to say anymore.

What a great start to the evening! He was just getting creeped out by me even more! I half-expected him to stop the car and tell me to get out. In order to set things straight and save our friendship, the first thing I had to do was calm down. Deep breath, Ai. Focus. Zen, yoga, whatever. I had to clear my head.

"Ai?"

"Sorry, Makoto, if I sounded weird," I said slowly and cautiously, choosing to stare at the dashboard and not at him, "This is the first time both of us are attending the Hachi Fest together, you know? And I was hoping that we could have some fun and create some nice memories. But I'm so nervous."

"Oh, I see…" Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that he was smiling and looking more relaxed. Good, I was on the right track! "Of course we'll have a great time, Ai! That's what we're here for."

"Mm-hmm…"

"But what are you nervous about? It's not because there's gonna be a big crowd and all, is it?"

"Oh, not at all. The only reason I'm getting butterflies in the stomach is from the fact that your yukata is hot –"

Wait. STOP! What did I just say? !

It was too late to take back what I said; he heard everything. I wasn't supposed to say perverted stuff like this! If you want to compliment someone, you have to be subtle but sincere. The sincerity was in the right place for me but the subtlety was lacking.

Gah! Now he'd think I was some deviant or something!

But he just shrugged and laughed it off, unfazed by my words. "Well, yeah, a lot of people tell me that, Ai," he chortled. "Can't help that I look great in this get-up, eh?"

He didn't think it was strange? That's weird.

But if it placed me back on safe ground, I wasn't complaining.

What piqued my interest, however, was that he had developed this slight reddish tint on his face… was I imagining things, though?

"Just relax, Ai!" he said, trying to soothe the tempest in my heart, "You can't enjoy the night acting all shy like a mouse. Let your hair down! It'll be fun."

"O-Okay…"

"No one will stare or laugh at you, Ai. So loosen those tense muscles!" In an attempt to put my mind at ease, he reached over and patted my hand affectionately.

And it did the opposite. My heart was more than ready to jump out of my throat yelling "Jumping Jillipers!" He told me to calm down. How could I calm down at this rate? !

XOXOXOXOXO

The drive was unexceptional and no more than five minutes long, but nothing about it felt ordinary for me. Gallons of adrenaline were pumping throughout every cell in my body the whole time. Makoto was to blame for being so irresistible. It was only when we arrived at our destination and finally got out of the stifling metal cocoon of his car's interior that I began to relax. But just by a tiny fraction. Seriously, the air within must have been loaded with pheromones.

"So here we are," he announced, scanning the crowd, which could have easily had more than a thousand people. "This year's Hachi Fest seems to be even livelier!" He whistled through his teeth.

"Looks that way," I said.

We left the parking lot and plunged straight into the mass of people. Makoto was right. The turnout was larger than what I remember in previous Hachi Fests. Just taking a sweeping glance at everything was enough for anyone with prior knowledge of this festival to know that while the Fests of yesteryear were great, this year's looked to be a cut above the rest.

The festival-goers were spoilt for choice: there were so many stalls I lost count by the time I reached twenty. The busy stallholders were working so frantically to serve their customers that I couldn't suppress a giggle in amusement. They sure were getting worked to the bone… but they probably didn't mind when money was rolling in nicely.

And with the exception of a few in normal attire, everyone was dressed in their finest gear. There were kimono designs that rivaled even mine! I was so jealous. Walking around the crowded park was almost like being inside a giant kaleidoscope.

"Man, it sure has been a while since I went out like this!" Makoto laughed.

"Work tying you down?" I said, sympathetic. "When's the last Hachi Fest you attended, anyway?"

"I think it was about three years back," he replied, "It's always deadline this, deadline that."

"Three years!" I was seriously astonished. "Makes you wish you could hop right back in school, eh?"

"At a time when overtime is the norm," he grinned, "I really wouldn't mind sitting through a boring lecture again."

"Ha ha! Yeah. Good times."

Walking alongside with Makoto on such a night was wonderful. Granted, we had such a close friendship that we got to talk often (we even have each other's phone numbers!), but being together on such a special occasion was a luxury I seldom had the chance to enjoy. Well, maybe not _seldom_, but more like _rarely_… or _never_.

Boy, I sure had a long way to go with him.

"Hmm?" Makoto saw someone to the side, someone he seemed to know. "Is that… Mina?"

It _was_ her. Sitting by herself at a longish wooden table in a noodle stall, gorging herself silly without a care for the world. I nudged Makoto and motioned him to come with me to greet her. But as we neared her we were in for a shock.

In front of her was a stack of empty bowls, all polished clean and without a single crumb remaining. I estimated that there were about eight of them! I knew she was a different life-form altogether when it came to eating, but eight bowls of ramen was unprecedented! How did she manage to fit it all in her stomach? And, more importantly, how is it that she could eat so much and not gain a single pound? !

Makoto was bug-eyed when he saw the Leaning Tower of Ramen Bowls assembled at Mina's table. So were the other customers. She slurped the last remnants of her ninth bowl and set it atop the stack. "Ah… awesome," she could be heard saying.

And right after that, with a slightly delirious look on his face, she hollered to the stallholder, "Hey mister, one more bowl of special deluxe ramen! This stuff is great!"

Everyone almost lost balance upon hearing this. The stallholder nodded nervously and obliged to her request. Was Mina a demon?

She happened to look our way and was surprised to see our faces, gawking at her. "Well, if it isn't Ai and Makoto. Having fun? Care to join me?"

Makoto and I exchanged glances at each other before I spoke, "Ah well, w-we're not hungry at the moment…"

"Aw, too bad," she said, "The ramen here is excellent. I could eat this forever and not get fed up of it."

"I see you like it," said Makoto, his mind still reeling, probably from the thought of a petite girl like Mina wolfing down eight, no, nine… soon to be ten bowls of ramen. "Aren't you overdoing it, though? I mean, even I can only manage one bowl."

"What're you saying, 'overdoing' it?" Mina said, "Hachi Fest comes but once a year! And ramen as tasty as this doesn't come often, so I thought, you know, to eat enough to tide me over till the next year when they sell it again!"

What? ! How did that make any sense? I swear, she had the strangest reasoning ever!

"Oh, sorry Makoto," she said, turning to him, "but could I borrow your girlfriend – uh, I mean Ai for a moment?"

"_Mina!_" I cried, colour swiftly filling my cheeks.

"Girlfriend?" Makoto laughed it off, though there was the ghost of a reddish tint on his face. "I guess if it's just us, it does seem that way."

"Sorry Makoto," I said, "could you give us a sec?" He left us be and headed over to a nearby stall.

"I can't believe you called me his girlfriend right in front of him!" I seethed, "What were you thinking, Mina? !" I sat down on a stool next to her.

"Sorry, I couldn't help it," she sniggered, eyes brightening at the sight of the tenth bowl of ramen being placed before her. Without any further delay she picked up her chopsticks and took a bite. I had to admit it had a most tantalizing aroma – no wonder she could perform the physics-bending feat of eating ten bowls of the stuff.

"Ah… this is heaven… You know, there's nothing quite like it, Ai. I can taste the pork bone and the nuance of black pepper is subtle but no less powerful. And the pork slices are thick and generous and they seem to be marinated to perfection! Let's not forget –"

"Mina, stop. Didn't you want to say something?"

"Uh… what is it about? Ramen?"

"No! And I should be the one asking you that!"

"Sorry, the taste… the smell… it's so good that it's sensory overload for me. Can't think… It's like my mind is floating in a sea of aspic… Gimme a moment to recollect my thoughts and… mmm, ramen…" Seriously, did she have a mild case of dementia? Or was it just pure craziness? "Ah! Oh yeah, how's Operation Creeping Snake going?"

I took a surreptitious look at Makoto who was taking his time surveying the menu in the stall behind us. Then I turned back to Mina, who was waiting with an expectant face.

"We only just arrived, so I didn't really get round to doing anything."

"Well, make sure you do it," she said, "or Makoto will slip through your fingers!"

"What? What do you mean?"

"Hey, c'mon, Makoto has a respectable career, he's young and good-looking and interesting to talk to… Don't you realize what this means for girls everywhere?" She fed a wad of slick noodles into her mouth.

"Um… no?"

And she replied, "Gmphrffrahfmmph –"

"Mina, swallow your food first. Then talk." Had she no concept of table manners?

"Sorry, I meant to say… Get a grip on reality, girl. Makoto is the very definition of an eligible bachelor. All the girls whom he comes across will fall in love with him for sure! That means more competition for you!"

"Gosh, you're right!" I never even stopped to think about that. I had always thought it was just me and him, but the possibility of other contenders made the whole situation even more urgent.

"And what's more, your rivals may be about the same age as him, and probably working too. Maybe even in the same company as him. He might find them to be more suitable for him. Don't forget: there's, like, a six-year gap between the two of you, and you're still schooling!"

"Oh… yeah." In the space of a minute things had become a little more hopeless. And by "little", I really mean "a lot". He and I were so different, like the moon and the sun. Would a relationship work out between us? I wasn't so sure anymore.

Mina squeezed my arm gently. "Ai, I'm sorry. I'm not saying this to be mean, but it's the truth. So what I'm saying is, hurry and put the moves on him!" She smiled reassuringly. "Listen, right now, you still have a pretty good chance. That's because you've known each other for four long years and have come to know each other as extremely close friends.

"What are you waiting for, Ai?" she smirked. "Go for it!"

"This… Darn it, you're right, Mina," I said, feeling more confident again. "I'm gonna do it. I've been waiting too long. I have to give myself and Makoto a happy ending!"

"Yeah!" she said, helping herself to more of her ramen. "Thmpgrrfphrifft!"

"Um…swallow."

"Sorry again… but yeah, 'That's the spirit!' is what I wanted to say!"

I beamed at her. How lucky I was to have found such a loyal friend in her! Mina was caring and supportive, a pillar of strength to lean against in times of need. Despite her faults – forgetfulness, tardiness, gluttony, lack of meal etiquette, bad joke potential, and tendency to plagiarise my homework to name but a few (okay, it's a lot) – I could easily overlook them for the nice person she really was!

There was a minor unrelated issue that had been playing around inside my head for some time now, and I figured now was the best time to ask.

"Mina, what's with the school uniform?" I asked, puzzled. "Aren't you gonna wear a kimono too?" It was like I said: she wasn't in a kimono. In the years I'd known her, she would go to every year's Hachi Fest in a blazing number. Curiously, she was now dressed in her usual school uniform.

"Nah, for this year, I'll pass. If I wear a kimono, Makoto may end up staring at me instead of you," she explained with an earnest look on her face. "Not that he's interested in me and vice versa, of course, ha ha! But… I want him to focus all of his attention on you, Ai. I want Operation Creeping Snake to be a success!"

"Mina… You…" She actually made such a sacrifice to increase the odds of a successful outcome for me? What an outstanding display of comradeship! Touched beyond measure, I just stared at her, trembling with tears unshed.

"Um, Ai, don't cry, man. I'd hate for your mascara to run –"

I swiftly wrapped my arms around her entire self in a bear hug, nearly knocking the chopsticks out of her hand. She gave a small "eep" of surprise, followed by a series of progressively louder cries of pain as I constricted her in my embrace. I couldn't help it. I had to thank her. Though I guess I overdid it…

"OW! AI, STOP IT!" she screamed, garnering alarmed glances from all the other customers and some of the nearby pedestrians. "You're hurting me! Let go! OW!"

"S-Sorry…" I released my death grip and she gasped for air.

"Don't hug me like that… You could have squeezed all the ramen and bile out of my stomach."

"Ugh…" I said, feeling queasy. "You did _not_ need to say that." Okay, chalk up one more fault for her: use of disgusting descriptions.


	3. 3: Hachi Fest, Part Two

**Moon and Sun (Part 3)  
><strong>by BrDPirateMan

Mina's pep talk helped me plenty. It made me realize how important it was to not hesitate. Thanks to her, I had better faith in myself. Or so I thought.

All the confidence in the world couldn't prepare me for what was to come. As for what that was, it'd have to come later.

Makoto cocked his head in the direction of a row of stalls. "Sure you don't want to give those game stalls a go, Ai?"

"Ah, no… I'll give it a miss," I said light-heartedly. "I'm too old for that anyway."

The ironic thing about it was that at the age of sixteen, I wasn't in a state of stable maturity. I was neither too old nor too young. There were times when I wished I could be treated as an adult instead of "some dumb high school kid". But sometimes it wasn't cool to be all grown up because there were just so many responsibilities to think about, and as teenagers we wanted to have as much fun as we could during our tender pre-twenties.

Many times an elder would say how I was too young to understand the happenings of the real world. They were unable to let go of the notion that since I was much younger, that classified me as a child, and that made their views on me and other fellow teenagers horribly biased. On the other hand, my parents were always telling me to be more serious, to think about my future, and in short, start acting like an adult. What was I supposed to be? Hard to tell.

Regardless of what I truly was, the fact remained that I was still sixteen. Neither too young nor too old for Makoto.

Was I too young? No, I was a teenager for goodness' sake. If my mood swings, hormonal imbalances and the occasional bout of acne didn't already make that obvious, I don't know what would. Makoto could go out with me without being labeled as a child-snatching pervert. Probably.

Which certainly raises the question: was I old enough? In all truth, not really. Wouldn't a 22-year-old like him prefer to date someone around his age? A lass around her early twenties would make a nice companion for him. But me? Heck, all waiters would serve me at a sushi bar is water or juice, not rice wine or whatever liquor they've got; I just wasn't at the age for legal drinking. Social and cultural bias could be such a burden.

But even with these thoughts, I wanted to at least see if I could make such a forbidden relationship work. Just the very mention of such a scenario is enough to conjure up images of a male teacher taking his student lover to a private location for a round of shenanigans.

And of course, we're not like that!

"Ai? You've been spacing out a lot," Makoto's voice rang through my head. "Are you feeling unwell or anything?"

"Huh? Um, no…" I shook my head. "No… I'm fine." Well, the age issue could wait. It'd be more worthwhile to have fun with Makoto tonight and not worry too much about –

"Are you sure?" Makoto cupped his hand over my forehead to feel for my temperature. Yikes! I tried to stop myself from heating up from embarrassment, but it was no use. "Your skin is boiling!" he said with alarm. "You're all red and you're breathing rapidly. You sure you're not down with a fever or –"

"I-It's just pretty warm tonight, that's all!" I gave a short, awkward laugh to hide my true emotions. "And it gets hot being in a huge crowd."

"You know, you're actually right," said Makoto, flapping the front of his yukata. Gosh, his chest was slightly exposed… Argh! Why couldn't I stop having perverted thoughts about him? ! This almost felt like a bad running gag. I knew it was normal for a girl like me to try and imagine my dream guy naked, but…

"We should go someplace where there're less people," he offered. "It wouldn't be so hot there!"

"Good idea," I said, hoping that whatever solution he had would do much to ease the hormones that were coursing through my system. Puberty could be so bothersome!

Makoto suggested going to the outskirts of the festival area, which I seconded, so that was where we were headed now. But the way there was fraught with obstacles in the form of a constantly moving crowd, which was jostling us about a bit, and I found myself bumping into more than my fair share of people.

"Sure is crowded…" mumbled Makoto. "Oof!" A passerby accidentally knocked against him.

I was about to say something when I got bumped against for the fifth time tonight. This time I was hit squarely in the funny bone. And as one would know from the tingling feeling that accompanies it, it wasn't funny.

"We're getting pushed around like rag dolls," I muttered, nursing my elbow, stinging with pain.

"Ai, we need to stick together or we'll get separated," he said.

"Easy for you to say," I called over the din of the noisy crowd. "I can't even move about properly! Not with so many people pushing me left and right!"

"Figures. But I've got an idea. A rather silly one, but it'll work nicely."

"Huh?"

Then he did something truly unexpected. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me close. It took me three whole seconds for me to realize that I was pressed against his side, in dangerously close proximity to him. And boy, when the realization came to me, it did so with the force of a sledgehammer to the face. I almost keeled over and died.

"M-Makoto? !" I yelped, red as a tomato. "What are you–? !"

"If we don't want to get hit about so much, like I said, we'll need to stick together, literally. As opposed to simply walking side by side, you know? Takes up too much space." A valid explanation… "And also," he added, with a cheeky grin, "Look at this place. There are couples everywhere. It'll look strange if we didn't look like one… ha, just kidding!" He broke into a hearty laugh.

Amongst the sea of people was a great many couples, each one caught up in their own little world of romance. Some were holding hands, others had arms wrapped around each other's waists, and all of them had this sickening lovey-dovey expression on their faces. Ugh.

But turnabout is fair play too, because if Makoto and I were to start going out, we'd be using the same disgusting expressions too. What was it about romantic relationships that made people want to showcase to the world how much they were in love with each other? We – and I mean the rest of us – don't want to know, we don't care, and we certainly don't want to see shameless fondling in public.

But what Makoto and I were doing right now… wasn't it exactly that? Oh well, it couldn't be helped. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't ungrateful for this little slice of heaven…

"We've never done something like this before," I mumbled absent-mindedly. "It almost feels like… we're a couple." My body temperature rose a degree or two with the last word.

"That's the idea, right?" he chortled. "Now we wouldn't look out of place!"

I was never comfortable with getting too touchy-feely with any of my guy friends, but Makoto was different. If it was him, I wouldn't mind… and I didn't. I found myself unconsciously nestling closer to his body, and it felt so warm in his embrace… Oh, I wished he could hold me like this the whole night… It would be perfect…

And then just when I thought it couldn't get any better, someone in a hurry rushed past and trampled on my toes in the process.

_Crack._

"OW…! ! !"

XOXOXOXOXO

"Hope your foot is okay," Makoto said.

"Well… as long as my toe bones weren't rearranged, I should be fine…" It was difficult to enjoy my ice-cream when I was still limping from a sore foot. And worst of all my tender romantic moment was ruined by that one clumsy fool…

He took a generous lick from his snow cone. "That can't be good for your cheerleading thing," he deadpanned.

"Tell me about it! Don't people have eyes to see where they're going anymore?"

"Oh, hold on, Ai…" he said, staring pointedly at me.

"Yes?"

"…you got ice-cream on your face," he said, dabbing my cheek lightly with his finger which he then popped into his mouth. "All clean now."

Oblivious to my umpteenth blush for the night he gave me a charming smile. My skin was now so warm, that even if he had not done what he did, I would have melted… no, vaporised that spot of ice-cream off of my face anyway. Did he just do that? ! Did he actually touch my cheek? ! Wasn't that something that _I_ should be doing to him?

Wait a minute… Now that I thought about it, I hadn't placed any moves on him tonight… In fact, it seemed more like the opposite! I hadn't done anything, but regardless, we were steadily growing closer to each other. So did this make Operation Creeping Snake a success or a failure? I had trouble deciding which it was.

And if I wasn't careful, the following scenario might happen…

"_Ai, you've got ice-cream all over your lips," said Makoto._

"_All over my lips?" I said, puzzled. They were clean._

_With both hands he grasped my shoulders gently but firmly. He stared into my soul, his eyes twinkling with boyish mischief. I just stood rooted to the spot, nervous at his sudden change in attitude. "M-Makoto, what is it?" He was smiling for some reason, and it was scaring me._

"_We can't have your pretty face marred like this, can we? Let me clean those lips for you." And with that he smashed his lips onto mine and trapped me in a crushing embrace. I couldn't do anything to help myself. But the sensation was overwhelming… so passionate… Before long, we had retreated to the privacy of a secluded area, and…_

WAAH! ! !

Sweat was gushing down my face like a waterfall. No, Makoto was not like that. He would never do something like that. I just knew he wouldn't! Right? ! A near-perfect guy like him wouldn't even think of doing such a thing. Yes, he wouldn't, I kept telling myself ad nauseam. He wouldn't…

"Look, Ai," he said, nudging me in the arm. "The Statue of Hachiko's over there."

Up ahead was the main attraction of the Hachi Fest. The stone dog was circled by countless people, all eager to touch it for good luck. I could barely make out the head of the statue above the crowd.

"There it is!" I chirped, tugging at Makoto's sleeve. "Hey, let's go join them. C'mon! It'll be fun! Please?"

He chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm coming. You don't have to pull."

We pushed through the people towards the statue. I was careful to not let my feet get stepped on again; no one in their right mind wanted to relive the experience of having one's toes being crushed underfoot by hard Japanese clogs.

"It's been a long while since I touched this statue for good fortune," he said, a tad nostalgic. "I remember how excited I was to pet it and to almost feel the rush of luck coursing through me."

"I know, right?" I said, grinning.

Several people were contemplating where to rub the statue. Obviously they had heard of the popular myth that surrounded it. And apparently, no one had actually designated which spots were good and which ones weren't. "What are those guys waiting and frowning for?" asked Makoto. "Aren't they gonna touch the statue?"

"They're just thinking about where to touch it. Because you don't just touch it, Makoto. Touch the wrong spot, and you'll get cursed… whatever that means."

"I guess it's just a ploy to keep things interesting. There's no curse or anything, but it makes the whole experience all the more surreal. So I don't mind where I touch it, 'cause it doesn't really matter at the end of the day, right?"

"Hmmm, yeah, I guess," I muttered, a little disappointed that he wasn't as caught up in the hype around the statue as everyone was. "Anyway, you wanna have a go?"

"Why not? If it's for good vibes, I don't mind." Then he added with jest, "Though I feel bad for poor Hachiko… having to deal with molestation for an entire night…"

"Ha ha ha! That's a good one!"

He was reaching out for the head when I halted him in his tracks. "You sure you don't mind rubbing a potentially cursed area?" I asked.

"Nah, like I said, I'm not worried about that." Bad luck wasn't something to play around with, but despite ongoing warnings he went ahead and patted it on the head. I wasn't as foolhardy as him though. I was racking my brains for a good place…

"How about the head, Ai?" he said.

"No, not the head," I replied, thinking hard. "Last year all the good luck was concentrated in the head. This year it has to be somewhere else."

He smiled, amused at the way everyone was fussing over such a seemingly trivial matter. "I'm sure it'll be fine either way…"

Ignoring him, I continued to tap into my common sense and knowledge of previous Fests to decide on the best spot. A brainwave later, I finally settled for the left forepaw of the dog. I felt good knowing that I was now blessed for the rest of the year. Hesitating for a few more seconds, I decided to rub it again for twice the luck. Well, you couldn't blame me, really.

"Satisfied, Ai?" chortled Makoto, the amusement refusing to leave his face.

"Oh, crack your jokes, Makoto," I huffed, in mock annoyance. "But when I win the lottery, don't expect me to share my money with you… ho ho."

"Heh, I guess if I were you I'd do the same thing!"

"Aw, you're mean," I pouted, punching him softly in the ribs. It was fun to joke around freely like this. With any other guy I probably wouldn't have dared. Even if it turned out that I couldn't be Makoto's girlfriend, having him as a close buddy was quite good already… But no, this wasn't the mindset I chose to adopt. I wanted to go out with him and tonight I would ensure that. Like hell I would chicken out and fail!

Behind me was a trio of teenage girls clad in kimonos (not as beautiful as mine, though, ha!) and chatting excitedly amongst themselves. "Where in the world do I touch it for good luck? !" grumbled one of them.

"Calm down, calm down," said the second girl.

"You know," piped up girl number three, "a friend of mine who lives in a temple said that she knows the exact location for this year's lucky spot." What? Although I was done with the statue, I was all ears as I continued to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Whoa, really? Why didn't you say so earlier? !" asked the impatient girl. Her other friend nodded in agreement.

"Sorry, I wasn't really sure about whether my friend was right or not," replied the third girl, adjusting her spectacles.

"If she stays in a temple, she should know all about this stuff. Now spill it! I'm getting tired of thinking!"

Enjoying the look of impatience on her friends' faces, the third girl smiled with an evil sparkle in her eye, "Good things come to those who w–"

"Tell. Us. _Now!_"

"O-Okay, chill," said the third girl, quickly giving up on her earlier plans of mental torture, "The rump! She said this year you should touch the rump."

I froze. The rump of the statue? But what I touched… wasn't the rump…

"Whaaaaat?" snorted the first girl. "I have to caress a dog's butt to get good luck? !"

The second girl furrowed her eyebrows. "How's that make sense? Is this friend of yours serious? ! She's a shrine maiden alright, so her advice should be spot-on, but…"

"That's why I wasn't sure about this!" said the third girl, "I mean, it didn't sound like the ideal place for such luck-rubbing, right? !"

Makoto heard it too. "Um, Ai, which part did you go for just now? It wasn't the rump, was it? Just asking."

My face started to turn pale upon realization of one fact. If what those girls said was true, then did I just touch a _cursed_ spot? !

"Ai?"

"I…I…I think it was th-the left forepaw…" No way… Was I going to be plagued with misfortune from now on? And because I touched it _twice_, did it also mean that I had _twice_ the bad luck? !

"Why don't you touch the statue again? On the butt this time, of course. You'll be able to neutralize that negative aura hanging around you now, right? At least that's what I figure."

"I can't do that," I countered. "There's an unwritten rule that states you can only touch the statue twice at most. You'll be afflicted with the curse anyway if you dare to touch it a third time."

Incredulous beyond words, Makoto's jaw hung open. "Unwritten? ! Okay, now that's just plain ridiculous. But hey, come on!" he said, trying to cheer me up, "Don't get your kimono in a knot just because of some silly superstition! You can't possibly be affected by an urban legend."

"I hope you're right." An unhappy sigh escaped from my lips as he led me away from the crowd. "If this screws up next Monday's Physics test, or makes mincemeat of my cheerleading practice, I'll seriously –"

A sharp pain suddenly spread over my head, accompanied by a hollow sound that reverberated inside my skull. "Ai!" I heard Makoto's voice as I tried to steady my dazed self. Something hit me in the head. But what? I knew trampled feet was a relatively common accident, but…

"Are you hurt, Ai? !" he said, urgently, "That branch landed squarely on your head… It must have fallen from this tree!"

The tree branch in question lay at my feet. "A… A tree branch?" I looked straight up at the offending source of my pain, and the moment I craned my neck skyward, believe it or not, another branch fell onto me, this time right on my face. "What tree br – Argmph!"

"Wha…? ! Oh no, Ai!"

Even as I was reeling, I wondered whether this was all because of bad luck, undoubtedly acquired from my botched "blessing" by the Statue of Hachiko. Nah, it couldn't be. This was just a coincidence. But two branches from the same tree falling on me in the space of a single minute… could that really be called a coincidence? Didn't sabotage from the forces of the universe sound like a more likely explanation?

A warm liquid was oozing out of my nose. "You're bleeding, Ai!" said Makoto, fishing a tissue from his pocket and wiping the blood away as best as he could.

"Makoto, I-I'm cool, I can handle this my–"

Somebody bumped into me from behind. It was a very weak bump, so even with my wavering balance I was still able to keep my footing. But what was this weird moisture that was seeping into my back?

I swiveled my head round and the sight that greeted me was enough to make my jaw detach itself and clatter to the ground.

There was a dollop of ice-cream plastered onto my kimono, slowly seeping into the delicate fabric. Some kid was quivering behind me like a frightened deer, holding an empty ice-cream cone in his hand. He looked genuinely apologetic, not to mention scared.

"I-I'm sorry!" he stuttered, bowing profusely. "I didn't see where I was going and accidentally smashed my snow cone into you. I'm very sorry! P-Please forgive me!"

What was I supposed to do? Forgive him? How could I? That was my best kimono he just ruined! My best kimono, that I just blew my entire allowance on! ! !

As much as I hated it, I let him off with a gentle warning to be more careful in the future, which that darn kid apparently took to heart. Makoto was less lenient but could not find it in himself to tell off the poor wretch. "You really have to watch where you're going," he grumbled.

"Y-Yes, I understand! Sorry for everything! Very sorry!" The kid then ran for his life. If I had my way, I'd surely have strangled him…

Makoto helped to wipe off as much of the mess off my kimono as he possibly could. There was still that sticky, icky feeling on my back, though. It dampened not only my clothing but also my spirit.

"I can't believe this is happening," I sighed. "It wasn't easy getting this kimono and this is the first time I'm wearing it…"

"Hope it wouldn't stain," said Makoto, "It's a pretty nice one too."

I didn't feel like having fun anymore, not when I knew that I was now cursed and that this was actually coming true. If this was all hogwash like Makoto had said, then why was all this nonsense happening to me? ! Was I actually suffering the effects of a _man-made_ myth? ! That was ridiculous!

And the night was far from over for me…

A little later, we watched in horror as a jet-black cat sauntered across our path… followed by its litter of about six or seven similarly-coloured kittens. What were black cats doing at a place like this anyway? Wasn't this supposed to be a place for luck, not a lack thereof? !

"You don't see that everyday," remarked Makoto, watching them slink away into the crowds to infect everyone with their bad luck and cause widespread chaos. If everyone started slipping on banana peels, stepping into drains or losing their wallets, we'd know who was at fault.

"One happy family," I muttered, "with Mum and kids in tow."

Unfortunately, because I was busy looking at this bizarre sight, I didn't look where I was going. One of my slippers got caught in a small bump in the ground as I was walking, and I subsequently lost balance and fell. There happened to be a woman who was rushing in the opposite direction with handbag swinging in the crook of her arm. Right at the moment I got back on my knees, aided by Makoto, the woman's handbag connected into my face, uppercut-style. It must have been loaded with lead and granite, because it felt heavy and it hurt a lot!

My nose started bleeding again. She continued on her way, hurrying to who-knew-where.

Makoto frowned as he took a withering glance at the woman. "She didn't even say sorry. Man, that's rude!" He handed me a fresh packets of tissues. "Incidentally, Ai, don't you think this is a bit weird? A lot of terrible things have been happening to you in a row."

"I don't want to say it," I mumbled, slotting tissues into my nostrils, "but it's probably the curse taking effect."

"The curse? You mean the curse of the Statue of Hachiko? ! But… But that's not possible… right?" Even Makoto the non-believer wasn't so sure anymore.

"It's the only thing that makes sense."

Suddenly, I heard screams coming from our left. The people were in a panic and darting out of the path of the push-cart that was barreling down the road at high speed.

Wait, a push-cart? At high speed?

Oh no, it was heading right towards us!

Behind the rogue push-cart was an elderly peddler, puffing and panting as he tried his best to catch up with it. "Gangway!" he shouted frantically, his arms spinning like helicopter rotors. "Everyone, look out!"

Makoto and I wasted no time dashing out of the way. And so, I was saved from a potentially gruesome fate…

…not.

In a peculiar turn of events, the push-cart veered sharply in our direction! Maybe it had gone into a gentle slope in the road and that was what made this happen. But with the cart so close we could do nothing to save ourselves.

Ah, crud.

Unable to react in time, Makoto got shoved to one side where he ended up spinning on his heel like a top. At the very same time, the evil push-cart charged into my person and knocked me down with the force of an 18-wheeler, its contents of fried tofu snacks and hot dumplings spilling everywhere like confetti. I may be exaggerating about the impact but what I clearly remembered was the pain in my body, and my scream being cut short, and a piece of tofu slapping into my forehead, sauce and all.

After that I blacked out.

XOXOXOXOXO

Ugh… Where was I?

I was floating in a vast empty space, where neither colour nor dimensions could quite describe it. Was it dark? Was it bright? I didn't know.

Suddenly, from above me a trio of winged children flew to my sides, coaxing me skywards. I did nothing to resist them. I couldn't. They pulled me by the arms with only the gentlest of touches, but the effort needed was none, like I was weightless. Were they angels? Then… was I dead?

Wait. I was DEAD? ! Was I actually killed by that… that stupid push-cart? !

"Hey, stop!" I shrieked. "What're you doing? ! I don't wanna go to heaven! I'm too young to! And… And why am I naked? !" Was it customary for souls who would ascend to the Great Hall in the sky to wear nothing? !

The angels said not a word but continued to drag me to the gates of a higher plane. I wanted to struggle, to fight back against my fate, but my muscles were strangely paralysed. I couldn't do a thing.

"No… Stop, please…" I whimpered as they brought me before the grand entrance. One of them released her hold on my arm to unlock the gate which squeaked open. Warm light poured in and kissed my entire body, but I didn't want this. It was the kind of light that embraced a person who had kicked the bucket!

"STOP…! ! !"

And just as I was about to step foot inside, I woke up, finding myself in my bed.

"Gah… just a dream… so terrible… Ow."

It was the day after the Hachi Fest, a day I spent at home recovering. The impact of my collision with a freaking push-cart last night was so bad that I couldn't stop the world from spinning. Much of the time I was in bed resting my poor head. I lacked the energy and enthusiasm to do anything else. And while none of my injuries were too severe, they were bad enough.

Mina would have hit the roof if she knew that her brainchild Operation Creeping Snake was an utter and complete failure, but she was sympathetic upon knowing what happened. She gave a sad sigh as she stared at my swollen bandaged forehead.

"Well, don't fret, Ai," she tried to console me as best as she could, "There's always tomorrow… or whenever you're feeling better."

"I feel like the Frankenstein's monster," a bedridden me groaned, "with these bandages on my head, and my arms and everywhere." Half of my skin was covered with gauze and plasters.

"No, more like a mummy," Mina joked, in an attempt to make things better. "Like, you know, the mummy returns!"

I said nothing, staring at her with a confused look.

"It's not funny, is it?" she muttered, dejected. She really needed to learn how to tell good jokes…

"Well, I don't think I can go to school for a day or two," I said.

"A day or two…" Suddenly Mina gasped in horror. "But our Physics test is tomorrow! Are you able to heal up in time? !"

Oh, yeah. I completely forgot about that. "Argh, curses." I instinctively slapped my forehead and was greeted with intense pain. How stupid of me. "Ow…!"

She clutched the back of her neck trying to fathom how terrible my luck had become. "I never for once thought that feeling up the Statue of Hachiko the wrong way would bring about luck as bad as this. We just kinda thought it was fun to keep the myth in mind, but we never paid it any heed, you know?"

I didn't say anything to that. Didn't know what to say and didn't feel like it.

"So is this myth busted or confirmed?" was the next joke she cracked. And like all her other jokes, it was terrible.

"Mina, we're not the _Mythbusters_," I mumbled.

"S-Sorry… I thought to cheer you up a bit."

"Thanks anyway…" I closed my eyes momentarily in a useless attempt to block out the pain. "Actually, I'm the one who should be sorry."

"What? Why?"

"I never got the chance to confess to Makoto. It's not because I chickened out, but… well, Operation Creeping Snake kinda got sidetracked by a lot of things…" I mentally went through all the things that ended up distracting me, and almost all involved Makoto and his undeniable charm in some way or another.

"Last night was so terrible!" My eyes watered up. "My foot got trampled on, I got hit on the head by a falling branch twice in one minute, someone dirtied my kimono with an ice-cream cone, I bumped into a company of black cats, and then a push-cart whacked me silly and now I'm here with cuts and grazes and a massive headache."

Mina opened her mouth to say something, presumably another one of her jokes to uplift the mood, but decided against it. She just squeezed my hand while I wept.

"W-Worst H-Hachi Fest ever…" I draped an arm over my face and let the tears flow.

There was not a single sound in my room except for my pathetic sniffles. I never felt so useless in my life, and I hated it. If I had been more careful this wouldn't have happened. And I ruined Makoto's evening too… What would he think of me now? I was sure that he thought of me as a pest – an immature, annoying, mishap-ridden pest of a schoolgirl who was too clumsy for her own good.

There was a soft knock on the door. My mother was calling me through it. "Ai, I'm coming in." She opened the door by herself and poked her head in. "You've got a visitor who's here to see how you're coping."

Shielding my eyes with my arm and trying my best to muffle the tears in my voice, I called, "Wh-Who is it?"

"It's me," answered the mystery guest for Mum. Where did I hear that voice before? I snuck a peek from underneath my arm and immediately sat up in shock.

"Makoto? ! What – OW!" The headache seared through my skull once more, as though a knife had been stabbed through my brain. Sitting up all of a sudden was not the brightest idea in the world. But I was astonished, seeing him at my own home. What was he doing here? A goggle-eyed Mina could only look from me to him and back again, curious to see how I would handle this surprise visit.

"He wanted to see you," explained Mum, standing in the doorway with Makoto at her side, "but you can't get out of bed just yet, so I brought him here."

"May I come in?" asked Makoto politely, careful with what he said because Mum was around. He looked nervous too. Was it because he was about to enter a girl's room? It's true that teenage girls' bedrooms were famous as sanctuaries with three P's: peace, privacy and pop star posters… and that they were out of bounds for members of the opposite sex… but if it's Makoto then it was okay, I guess… "I mean, it's cool if you want to rest and talk another day, but – "

"Um, n-no! I don't mind," I stammered, beginning to blush. "P-Please come in."

Makoto helped himself inside and Mum disappeared. Mina stood up from her chair and prepared to leave. "Going already?" I asked.

"I wouldn't bother you two so I'll take my leave," she said, smiling with a knowing twinkle in her eye. Then, out of earshot of Makoto, she whispered cheekily, "Have fun, Ai… ahem. Just don't make it too rough."

"G-Get your mind out of the gutter," I retorted.

With a final chuckle, she bid both of us goodbye and graciously left, closing the door behind her.

The mother of all awkward silences fell over the room as Makoto and I gazed at each other. Wordlessly, he cautiously sat on the chair where Mina had been sitting earlier. Realizing that there was no one in the room but the two of us, I gulped and broke into an uncontrollable blushing fit. I half-expected Makoto to pounce on me as soon as we were alone, but nothing of the sort happened, thank goodness.

I muttered, "So…"

"Feeling sunnier today, Ai?"

"No, not really." I shook my head, an action I immediately regretted. Even that could make my headache feel much worse. It almost felt like my brain was bouncing around inside my skull like a ping-pong ball. I grimaced.

Sympathy was written on his face upon seeing my partially mummified body. "It's that bad, huh?"

"I hit my head pretty bad that night. You _did_ see it…"

"That you survived such a hard whack to the head, and being run over by a push-cart, is nothing short of a miracle. Even though you're in bad shape, I'm thankful that I'm still able to talk to you!" Was there the slightest hint of gallows humour in that last statement?

He continued, "I took you back here when you passed out, you know. Your mum was thoroughly shocked to see you hurt like that! But I explained everything to her, and she seemed to believe it, so everything's fine."

"You took me back home?" So it would seem that I gave him more than his fair share of trouble. "Th-Thanks… How are your injuries?"

"I'm fine. Just one or two bruises… No broken bones. Oh yeah, got you some nice cold OJ, by the way."

He fished out a Thermos flask from his sling bag. He jiggled it in front of me, smiling. "I know I'm not a medicinal pro like Dr Fumiko, but I do know you like orange juice… so I thought I might bring some to take your mind off the pain a little while!"

Why would Makoto still want to have anything to do with me after the unfortunate string of events from last night? I found it hard to understand. But here he was, visiting me in my own home, and he even brought my favourite beverage? Somehow, I didn't think I deserved it, and I started to weep anew.

"Whoa, Ai! Y-You don't like OJ after all?"

"No, Makoto, that's not it! Why are you even here? Aren't you supposed to be mad at me for making a mess of last night?"

"What? !" He arched both eyebrows in a quizzical expression. He had no clue of what I was getting at. "Whatever do you mean by that?"

"I'm sorry, Makoto," I sniffed, tears threatening to spill out the corners of my eyes, "Last night I was acting so weird, and I totally messed up your evening. And yet you'd still do such things for me? I know apologizing wouldn't make up for what happened, but… please forgive me. I… I still want to be your friend…"

He stared at me in confusion for a few seconds before a broad but kind smile spread across his mouth. "You really are so uptight about everything, Ai," he laughed softly. "What reason is there to be angry? Don't be sorry…

…because spending the night with you was the best thing that's happened to me in a long time!"

"Wh-Wh-What?" He said that? ! He wasn't mad? And did he say he really liked my company? ! Was I still asleep? I pinched myself in the arm, and when it stung, it set off a chain reaction which amplified the pain in the rest of my body. OW OW OW! How stupid of me! I didn't know how many times I blushed in my lifetime because of this guy, but today would increase that number by one.

"C'mon, Ai," he smiled, pouring me a cup of chilled orange juice from his Thermos flask. "Do you think I'd get mad at you for something that's beyond your control?" He handed it to me, which I gratefully accepted.

"I guess not…" I took a sip. The cool juice tasted good and did wonders to soothe my headache.

"Well, there you go! Trust me, I had a lot of fun hanging out with you last night." Then he added cheekily, "Too bad you didn't grope the statue's butt."

"Like I would feel up a dog's behind!"

But I wasn't offended in the least. I was stifling a giggle, to tell you the truth. Before long I burst into laughter and he joined me. Miraculously, my bodily pains vanished. And the tears I wiped away were not from sadness and self-pity but because I was laughing so hard. I was feeling pretty good!

"Thanks, Makoto. You helped me feel a lot better now."

"Don't mention it. What are friends for?"

So maybe Operation Creeping Snake wasn't much of a success. But it didn't matter. I seemed to be making some headway with him, anyway. It was a good sign. Our friendship was as strong as ever, maybe stronger. And perhaps, in time, we could take that big step towards a relationship. Together.

Maybe touching the wrong spot on the Statue of Hachiko wasn't such a bad thing after all.

But how would I fare in time to come? Only time would tell… Or maybe the next chapter would.


	4. 4: A Rainy Day

**Moon and Sun (Part 4)  
><strong>by BrDPirateMan

Monday was the day of our Physics test and I was glaringly absent. I couldn't go to school until Wednesday, in fact. But because of this I was forced to re-take that test in the staff room after classes ended for the day. Not exactly the most comfortable thing ever…

The test was really hard too. Ugh! I emerged from the teachers' evil lair (read: staff room) feeling like I had just gone to war and lost an arm.

I asked to be excused from cheerleading practice today. My fellow cheerleaders heard that I had just recovered from a good many injuries, so they were fine with it. But they had trouble wrapping their heads around how a supposedly agile, dexterous cheerleader like me could be clumsy enough to let herself get slammed by a push-cart.

Staying back after school to sit for a difficult test and having to deal with throbbing injuries at the same time was overkill. Everywhere my body ached. Even blinking seemed to hurt. Almost like blink-ow-blink-ow.

So it was understandable that when school was over for the day, I felt very much relieved. Couldn't wait to get home! I stood together with a bunch of people at Scramble Crossing, waiting for the "WALK" sign to blink green. But in life, the greater the hurry, the longer the wait. Or something like that. An infernal length of time passed and the traffic sign still read… "DON'T WALK". Come on! I wanted to have a nice long soak in the tub. And with such dark clouds in the sky, I really didn't want to get drenched on the way back.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder. "Yo, Ai," he said, "Fancy seeing you here."

"Oh! Makoto! Back from work?"

"Yeah, it's not often that I get a workday with no overtime," he sighed, standing beside me. "I'm looking forward to sitting at home and just… chillaxing."

"'Chillaxing'?" I grinned approvingly. "You're using street talk even when you're not a teenager anymore? That's wicked."

"I may be 22 this year, but I still feel like I'm much younger than that, so I end up talking with 'hip' terms sometimes. Wonder if that's normal."

"As long as you don't greet your boss with 'Yo' and stuff," I giggled, "that's fine."

The sky grew gloomier and the whole place was practically slate-grey under the shadow of the clouds. But even when the first drops of rain began to fall, that stupid traffic sign still glowed red. "DON'T WALK", it stubbornly read. I half-expected the words "NOT MY PROBLEM" to blink across its display as well.

Raindrops splattered on my face. "Shoot! I didn't bring an umbrella. Makoto, do you have one?"

"Sorry, nope. It looks like we're gonna get wet." He held up his suitcase above his head to shield himself from the impending onslaught of rain. I did the same with my school briefcase.

"You didn't drive to work today? If you had your car you wouldn't have to worry about the rain."

"Yeah, but my car broke down on Monday. I had it sent for repairs. I've been taking the bus to go to work!" He gave a slight chuckle, seeing the lighter side of his own mishap.

Oh dear, it wasn't because he touched the wrong part of the Statue of Hachiko last Sunday, was it? My bad luck didn't rub off on him, did it? Maybe I should apologise… or maybe I shouldn't; that'd be way too awkward. Argh. What to do… Um… eeny-meeny-miny-moe…?

The rain grew much heavier all of a sudden, as though someone had thrown a bucket of water down from the skies. Only now did the traffic sign allow us to walk, and everyone was jogging across the zebra crossing to the other side. "Let's run," I said, sprinting with him.

"We have to find shelter and wait it out," he shouted over the din of the downpour, "But where should we go?"

We scanned the place frantically, and we were just in luck to find a store that was open right next to us. I couldn't see what kind of store it was but the most important thing now was to not get any wetter than we already were. "Here!" I grabbed him by the arm and launched ourselves inside where we tried to catch our breaths.

I was drenched rather badly and the feeling of squelching wet socks in my shoes was disgusting. Parting the damp fronds of hair from my face made me look and feel like one of those creepy long-haired ghosts straight out of a Japanese horror flick. I was wiping the rainwater off my arms with a handkerchief when I caught Makoto glancing my way rather surreptitiously. That was when I suddenly realized he could see me through my pure-white shirt, which was, of course, terribly soaked. My bra was showing!

"S-Stop staring!" I yelped, covering myself up with my arms, with a thick redness on my face.

He looked sharply away. "I-I wasn't looking!" he spluttered in denial. "I didn't see anything, honest!"

"Are you absolutely sure? ! That you didn't see anything? !" My eyes narrowed. No matter how amazing Makoto was, he was still a guy, so seeing a girl in a state of indecency and getting aroused from it was pretty normal. But that didn't mean that we girls had to like it!

He stiffened. "Um, yeah, didn't see anything."

"I can smell lies."

Makoto was sweating buckets as I squeezed the truth out of him. "Er, um, well, I think I may have seen a tiny little bit… it was white, I think…"

"So you _did_ see it!" I growled, grabbing him by the lapels of his coat. "Forget it immediately! Purge the memory, destroy it, whatever! Do it now!"

"How do I even do that? !" he protested, trying to pry my hands away. "And more importantly…"

"What? !"

"This place…" He took a quick look around. "Could this be… what I'm suspecting it to be?"

I followed his gaze. We were in some kind of video store; that much I could tell from the rows of shelves lined with DVDs. But when I looked closer at what those movies were about…

No way… How could this happen?

Out of all the shops in Shibuya we had to step inside an adult video store! Oh the humanity!

It was a pretty tiny place, about the size of one of our classrooms. The shelves were bursting at the seams with hundreds upon hundreds of skin flicks that should cater to the, well, hundreds upon hundreds of stupidly wild dreams that any smut-starved person should have. There weren't just X-rated films, either. A quick glance at a nearby shelf told me that this store also had H-games in stock too. There was everything that a sexually repressed person with loads of free time could ever ask for… and I didn't need.

God, I didn't know where I should be looking! Everywhere I looked, a dangerous sight would greet me, be it an outrageous movie title, or a movie poster showing naked people in… look, do I have to go into detail here? !

Makoto's eyes shifted about uncomfortably. "W-Well, we're certainly in a very… awkward spot."

"We should get out of here," I said, about to take a step towards the door. But then I suddenly realized that it was pouring outside, and we couldn't move.

"We're stuck here," he said, "till the rain clears. Which is, of course, bad." Makoto and myself… surrounded by an aura of filth with no chance of escape in this little godforsaken spot of Shibuya. It was madness.

The only thing that was decent enough to look at was the window, through which I took a longer-than-usual glance to avoid having to catch a glimpse of some obscene… whatever.

"I hope the rain stops soon," I mumbled over my shoulder to Makoto. "Mnngh… I wish we could have been in a bakery, or a bookstore or something. But now, not only can we not rest properly, we don't have a place to sit, there's no food or drinks to tide us over, and – um, Makoto, are you listening?"

To my horror, when I spun round, I found him browsing through the movies on sale. He seemed to be fixated on a particular one. His eyes had the glassy look of a man under an unshakable magic spell. What in the world was he doing looking at something so dirty? ! And was he drooling? !

"Hey!" I snapped, smacking him on the head. "Stop gawking at them! You pervert!"

He nearly dropped the DVD he was holding when I hit him. As though the spell had been broken, he rubbed his poor head and apologized. "Ow! I'm sorry! I… I didn't mean anything bad by it, honest! I was just taking a quick look. I had no intention of buying any of them!"

"Reeeeeally now…"

"I swear! It's just…" He took a momentary sideways glimpse at the movie in his hand. "It's just that the girl on the cover of this one is pretty cute."

"Makoto," I huffed, snatching it away, "I know guys think about this sort of thing from time to time, and that might include you, but watching stuff like this is bad for you! I mean, there're better things out there to do… and better movies to watch!"

"I… I know that," he stammered, "but, Ai, look at the cover. Doesn't this girl look like you?"

What? Out of curiosity, I gazed at the DVD case. Splayed in bold red letters at the top were the words, "Lovers Forever" – how corny! The image below them depicted a young girl – she appeared to be around my age – wearing nothing and posing tastefully amongst a sea of crumpled bed sheets. As I stared at her face, even though I hated to admit it, I found myself agreeing more and more with Makoto's words. He was right: the main actress for this movie… she looked just like me! Right down to the shoulder-length brown hair.

Was this why he was so taken with this movie? Because she bore a striking resemblance to me? But wait… If that was the reason, then what was on his mind exactly? "Wow, this girl is as cute as Ai"?

Oh come on! Seriously? Though if he really did think that way, that I was cute… it was still kinda nice to know… and…

No! I shook my head to try and clear it. Why was I getting flattered by something like this? ! He was comparing me to an adult video actress! Sacrilege!

"Also…" he continued, turning even redder, "in the movie, that character's name happens to be Ai too, and she's a high school student who – "

"L-Look, that's not me!" I spluttered a little too loudly. "Are you an idiot? ! I've never done _it_ before! What makes you think that she and I are similar – "

Unfortunately, my outburst caught the attention of the other customers in the store. They stared at us, me even more so, probably thinking to themselves what I was so excited about, and why an underage girl like me was in an adult video store in the first place. And while the store was already quiet to begin with, now it was even quieter. You could hear a bacterium sneeze.

I could have fainted from the embarrassment.

Slamming the movie back into the shelves where it rightfully belonged, I growled, "Makoto, we are not staying here any longer. Come on, let's go find another store!"

"But it's still raining!" he protested.

He cringed a little when I shot a death gaze at him. "If we run, we wouldn't get so wet. Understand? Now move!"

"W-Wait… Ow! I'm coming, I'm coming! Why'd you have to pull me by the ear? !"

"Shut up!"

XOXOXOXOXO

I found a more normal-looking spot where we could be safe from the downpour. Some run-of-the-mill boutique in Cadoi City was where we ended up. No perverted movies here, so it was all good.

As brief as our dash through the rain may have been, we still got quite wet nonetheless. After all the effort we took to dry off in the video store, we were back to square one. At least the salesman was kind enough to lend us towels to wipe the water off of ourselves.

"Towel off now," he said. "I can't have you having colds now, right?"

Makoto wiped his face vigorously. "Ah, thanks."

"Anytime, hon. It's pouring outside, so feel free to stay here till the weather clears up a little. In the meantime, please browse through our goods. You might find something you like." He returned to the counter where he busied himself sorting out some boxes. "Give me a holler if you need anything, hon!"

"Yeah, will do."

Even though the salesman was… well… a man, he exuded a positively womanly aura about himself. He had a nice "pretty boy" face, and if you didn't know how he looked like, his high-pitched voice would mislead you into thinking he was a girl. His mannerisms were also startlingly girlish… not even a girl would act like he does.

"Um, Ai?" whispered Makoto uneasily. "Did a man just call me 'hon'?"

"Why?" I said, dabbing my wet arms, "Did it weird you out?"

"Of course it did! If I were a girl, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. But I'm a guy…" He shuddered.

"Well, that's probably the way he talks. I don't think he means anything by it, so don't let it bother you, 'kay?" I patted his arm reassuringly. "It's not like he likes you in that way or anything."

Makoto frowned. "I hope you didn't just jinx me."

"Those are some tense facial muscles you've got," I teased. "Just relax. It'll be okay… hon."

"Nngh…"

We spent our time looking through the multitude of clothing. While I was examining some of the dresses, Makoto was hovering around the section with all the polo T-shirts. Hmmm… polo tees, huh? Maybe he liked those. Might as well hang around him to see what caught his fancy. It could prove handy the next time Christmas or some similar occasion came around and I wanted to buy him a present.

I didn't even get to slink two steps over when the salesman sidled to his side. His sudden appearance startled Makoto so greatly I thought he might molt out of his skin.

"This is our latest range of men's shirts, hon," explained our effeminate friend. "I am sure they'd go so well on you, especially if you pair it up with, say…" – he produced a pair of slacks from a nearby shelf – "…these pants. The whole ensemble is just perfect for a man of your stature."

"Um… thanks, I guess…" Makoto obviously wasn't feeling too comfortable.

"Oh, how about this semi-formal shirt? It's all the rage, hon. You can wear it absolutely anywhere. It's truly a versatile piece, this one. This is a great addition to the wardrobe of any handsome self-respecting man."

"Er… Uh-huh…" I could almost see the sweat dripping down his face…

"I've got it!" the salesman squealed (yes, squealed). "You should try them on! You may be hesitating right now, but you never know for sure if they're good until you try, right, hon? Although I'm very certain that they'll look superb on you. We have all kinds of sizes too, so you can fit in just right…"

It's normal for salespersons to act chummy with the customers, but something told me that there was a deeper meaning to this guy's behaviour…

Makoto couldn't stand it anymore. "Whoa hey, look. I-I'll try them on as I see fit. Just let me be, okay? Just – "

"All the more you should test them out in the fitting room!" The salesman wasn't listening. "Oh my, you're a pretty beefy one, hon. I don't think any of the shirts here will fit you. Hang on, I'll go get some spare shirts in your size!" And off he scampered with a happy spring in his step to grab even more clothing. He had all the enthusiasm of a little girl about to dress her dolls up. Meanwhile, Makoto could only grumble to himself.

What was wrong with him? ! It really looked like he had a thing for Makoto! I had joked just scant minutes earlier that the salesman didn't mean anything by what he was doing and that it'd be okay… but now I knew that if I didn't step in and do something, the whole thing would snowball into chaos… hon. Gah! Why was I talking like that freak? !

I tugged at Makoto's sleeve and whispered, "I take back what I said about him being harmless."

He let a troubled sigh. "So you really did jinx me, huh…"

"S-Stop it. You're not safe here. Let's get the heck outta here while we still –"

Suddenly the salesman let out a girly scream. He had been standing on a small step-ladder to reach a cupboard high above, but had lost balance and tumbled to the floor. He groaned in pain, but otherwise seemed fine. True to Makoto's considerate ways, he looked poised to rush to the fallen man's side and help him up. But wait, this was a big problem!

If Makoto helped him up, it might make the obviously attracted-to-males salesman misunderstand his innocent intentions. Perhaps he might think of Makoto as his saviour, and he might do all sorts of things to try and ensnare him! Just think of the horror that would result! That'd be terrible!

I was by the salesman's side in an instant, playing the part of the gallant hero and pulling him up by the arms. No way was I going to let Makoto do that, never mind that he really meant to help! Also, by not being able to help, he would appear less impressive. What kind of saviour stands by idly? Then the salesman would forget all about him. I'd save Makoto's butt in so doing and he'd be eternally grateful to me. Heh! That's like killing about a half-dozen birds with one stone… it was perfect!

"No need to thank me," I huffed, acting nonchalant. "Just helping you. That's all."

Makoto asked purely out of courtesy, "You okay, buddy?"

The dazed salesman took a few moments to find his voice. "Uh, I seem to be fine…" As he dusted himself off, I inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. Well, that's done and good.

But I may have sighed too soon.

"…though, you know," he continued, "I'm so happy." Huh?

Makoto froze. For good reason too, because the next thing that the crazy one said could chill mere mortals to the bone faster than liquid nitrogen.

"This is the first time anyone's asked me about my welfare, hon!" he gushed, with eyes filled with dew and sparkle for my hapless friend. "It'd have been nice if it was you who helped me to my feet, but that you show genuine concern for me is good enough! I'm so moved!"

Agh? ! How could my plan backfire like this? ! I retreated back to Makoto's side, because now even I was scared.

"And so, as HT Masuoka, I ask this of you! P-Please go out with me!"

The whole world died, leaving only the three of us. Heck, my own lifespan just got slashed cleanly in half. I'd be willing to bet Makoto was a hair's breadth away from a visit by the Grim Reaper.

Masuoka, as his name turned out to be, was very much alive on the other hand and waiting for a favourable reply to his ridiculously rushed confession.

Makoto needed no further incentive to leave the premises. He actually grabbed my arm and hastily dragged me the way we came, not bothering to say or do anything more. Just before I tumbled through the entrance after him, I heard Masuoka say, "Come back again, hon! I wouldn't forget you!"

XOXOXOXOXO

So here we were, running through the rain-soaked streets yet again. Why oh why did we have to keep bumping into the craziest situations? This wasn't funny! Oh well, there was another boutique close by, which we ducked into. We could only pray that the seller wasn't perverted like the last one.

"Wet again," I sighed. "So I guess today there's no escaping this watery fate of ours, huh…"

"I'd rather be wet," groaned Makoto, "than to be chased around by some lunatic!"

"You're right. Hmmm… I wonder if this is left-over bad luck from the Hachi Fest."

"D-Don't be ridiculous, Ai…"

A female voice coming from somewhere inside the store hailed us. "Um, excuse me…"

Both of us turned to look towards the owner of the voice. It was a salesgirl, dressed in a jacket-and-skirt ensemble as black as the night sky. The stylish maturity of her outfit was in direct contrast with her childish-looking dual ponytails. Her eyes, so small they were like slits, lent her face a vulpine expression. Her demeanour was very prim and proper and she gave the impression of a fussy perfectionist, but otherwise she seemed normal. I could almost feel the relief washing all over Makoto like a tidal wave. I was the same way.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you," she said politely, "but is there anything I can do to help? Here are some towels for you, by the way, since you got caught in the rain."

"Thanks… um…" It occurred to me that we had no intention of buying anything in this store. We just came here to avoid getting soaked. Come to think of it, what was this place anyway? One good look around and… oh my goodness.

"Oh, silly me," said the salesgirl, "I forgot about the introductions altogether." She cleared her throat, and with a sunny voice, she announced, "Welcome to _Lacy Temptations_!"

Makoto was stammering. "L-L-_Lacy Temptations_? !" His face was the colour of hot chilli peppers. "We're in a l-lingerie store?"

"Yes, sir," replied the salesgirl, whose name tag read _Shigemi Konno_. "We sell only the finest ladies' underwear. Our store is quite famous, not to mention popular, I daresay."

My eyes scanned the place. It was small for a boutique, but it was crammed to the brim with underwear. Poor Makoto… he looked like a fish out of water. This wasn't the sort of place that a guy could go to and not have people wondering suspiciously why he was here.

Ever so courteous, she spoke, "I know it's very bad form of a salesperson like me to ask personal questions of customers, but are you two a couple?"

"Wh-What? !" I cried, taking a quick glimpse of a somewhat flustered Makoto. "N-No, we're just friends. Wh-Why do you ask?"

"Because we currently have a special offer on the latest range of seamless bras," she answered, whipping out a brochure and handing it to me. "Today's the last day we're selling Super V bras at a 30% discount." She flipped to a certain page for me and pointed out an especially risqué-looking selection of bras. Makoto was burning up as the salesgirl continued:

"The Super V range of bras and matching panties was released about a week ago. It incorporates the best features in one package: the cups are reinforced to maximize cleavage, the deep V cutting makes it possible to wear low-cut dresses without exposing the bra, and it's seamless so you don't need to worry about it being visible behind your back. There's also a nice variety of colours available to suit your many moods. But what is arguably the best part…" I could see she was getting slightly excited… "…is that both the bras and panties are so smooth and comfortable it almost feels like you're not wearing anything."

"Um, gee, well that's nice…" I gulped. "…but what's this got to do with us being a couple? Which we're not, by the way."

"I just thought that I'd help to make your love life a little more interesting. Many customers have told me how a new bra or suspenders has helped to reignite their stagnant relationships. I'm proud to say that some of them have successfully progressed from a platonic romance to a… non-platonic one."

I trembled, not knowing how to react to _that_. How could she say such things without the slightest hint of embarrassment on her face? ! Talk about professional.

And when I looked over at Makoto, I was shocked to see him struggling to tame his freely bleeding nose with a crumpled wad of tissues.

"Wh-Wh-Why do you have a nosebleed? !"

"Sorry, Ai… I couldn't help it…"

To add to the awkwardness of it all, Shigemi handed him a booklet too. "Here's a brochure for you too, sir. In the event that you'd like to buy your girlfriend here the perfect gift, this will certainly help you…"

"How many times have I said that we're not going out! ! !" I fumed. This salesgirl seriously needed to learn how to listen to her customers… and not make such stupid assumptions in the first place!

Makoto browsed through the booklet swiftly in a polite attempt to look interested and his nosebleed intensified. Like an idiot, he absent-mindedly said, "Th-Thanks, I'll consider it…"

I strangled him. "What's on that perverted mind of yours now? ! 'I'll consider it'? ! Consider what? ! Huh? !"

"Whoa whoa, c-calm down…! It's nothing, really!"

I loved Makoto and I knew I couldn't exactly control what he could do with his imagination, but… this was still a bit disturbing.

Shigemi, unsure of what to do – she never had customers strangling each other in her shop before – simply cleared her throat to get our attention and said, "Please take your time to browse, sir, ma'am. If you need my help, don't hesitate to ask. Just keep in mind that today's the last day of our sale on Super V bras – 30% off!" Just then, a woman came in and our salesgirl friend mercifully left us in peace to serve her latest customer.

"What a mess," I groaned, releasing my hands from his neck. "Makoto, we should leave."

"Um, hello?" he said, gesturing towards the window. "Without an umbrella, we can't. Not when it's still raining cats and dogs out there." Oh yeah, I forgot.

"So I'll ask for one."

The woman who had come in was busy sifting through a rack full of panties so I took the opportunity to ask Shigemi if she had an umbrella we could borrow, promising her we'd return it the next day.

"I understand your plight, ma'am," she said, "but unfortunately I didn't bring mine today. I'm very sorry." Darn it! "In the meantime, please do browse our selection of high-quality lingerie. I'm positive your boyfriend would like them."

"He's not my boyfriend!" Geez, were her ears full of wax or did she misplace her brain?

All we could do now was to wait it out.

Makoto sighed, "A nice warm cup of hot chocolate would be aces right about now."

I couldn't agree with him more. "And a nice hot meal."

His nose was still bleeding and didn't look like it'd stop soon. I could see he was trying to look like nothing was really wrong as he gazed out the window, his hand covering his nose with a thoroughly bloodied tissue ASAP – _a_s _s_tylishly _a_s _p_ossible. But seriously… that movie actor pose was so old-fashioned and so 60's, it was laughable at best.

I rolled my eyes skyward. "Oh boy, will you stop bleeding already? ! It's getting old."

"Y-You make it sound like I can turn my nose on and off like a faucet. It's not easy, I'll have you know!"

"Well, it's still really embarrassing! Geez, let me help you wipe that blood off. Seriously, of all the…" I fished out a wad of tissues from my skirt pocket and reached up to his face.

"Whoa, hey!" He tried to wave my arm away in protest. "I can do it myself!"

"Just hold still and it'll be over in two seconds." I pried his hand from his face, but he resisted, clutching my own hand to stop me.

"Ai!"

"Hey! I said hold st– "

I paused in mid-sentence when I realized something. Our hands were touching each other, just like in a romantic film. The warm feeling in my hand… it was his warmth, flowing through me. I couldn't believe it. I was holding hands with Makoto (even though it was strictly accidental)! Goodness, it was so nice and fuzzy and my heart was thundering.

Ah yes… That's how they set a good mood in the movies… In the final scene, the guy is seen to hold the girl's hand, and they stare at each other's eyes without a care for the world. The girl intertwines her fingers tightly with his, and their hands clasp together. With their hearts brimming with romance, and the very air sparkling with stardust, he delivers his long-awaited confession. Slowly, deliberately, he utters the three magic words:

"It stopped raining."

"Eh?"

I was pulled back to reality all of a sudden, and the impact of returning to the world of the living once more felt like a hundred-ton sledgehammer to the face.

"It…" I muttered, "it what?"

"Look," said Makoto, pointing out the window with his free hand, "it stopped raining, thank goodness!"

True, it wasn't raining anymore save for the odd raindrop here and there, and the sky was clearing up. We could head back home now without any worries. But man… why did he have to spoil my little fantasy like this! That scene in my head that I could picture so vividly was shattered into a million pieces.

Just then, Shigemi popped her head out from behind a shelf. "Oh my…" she said with an innocent smile. "You two are a sweet match."

Makoto choked on his own saliva. "S-Sweet…"

So did I. "…m-m-match? ! What do you mean? !"

"Well, you two _are_ holding hands," she said with glee, "so I had this feeling the two of you must be going out! Now, in that case, I strongly recommend this Super V Night Gift Set. Showcasing a full range of assorted lingerie including suspenders and matching stockings, it's a splendid choice for couples who – "

"We weren't… Y-You're mistaken!" I hurriedly snapped my hand away from Makoto's and teleported myself to a different part of the store, away from him so he couldn't see my blushing face. But out of the corner of my eye I could see that he too was red-faced.

That was mortifying! That salesgirl actually thought we were a couple. But I guess anyone would think that way after seeing that!

Still… for our hands to touch like that just now… if felt awfully good… That warmth of his was still tingling on the skin of my palm… Maybe I should never wash my hand again. And… and if I caressed my hand against my cheek, like so… then it's almost like he was touching my cheek indirectly! Such bliss!

Wait… Why was I thinking about things like this? Ack, silly me! The rain had stopped and it was time for me to head back home!

Hmmm… Hang on. Since I was here, I might as well take the opportunity to buy myself some new bras. These days it was getting tighter around the chest with my old bras, so it was just as well that I invest some money in an… upgrade.

But Makoto was here! I couldn't buy underwear in front of him! It would look like I was indirectly seducing him, and that would be bad. It might end our relationship before it had even started!

However, today was the last day of the Super V bra sale… It was my best chance to buy a couple of them… Come on! 30% off full price! That was a heck of a good deal! And they were such good bras too. The texture was soft and comfortable and if they could be used in any occasion – formal or otherwise – then that made them pretty darn useful and versatile.

Then again, if I bought any more clothing, my parents would get mad at me. My shopping habit was practically a character trait of mine by now, and they hated it! I couldn't afford to get on their bad side any longer.

Argh… I couldn't stand it! A great battle was raging on inside of my head. My moral values were fighting it out fiercely with my shopaholic tendencies, which were in turn battling with my filial responsibilities. I was spinning round and round in the torturous world of indecisiveness. What should I do? !

Shigemi Konno apparently figured out that I was struggling with the infernal question of "Should I buy this?" and came over. "Ma'am," she said, "I'm sorry but I forgot to mention…"

"Huh?"

"For our current sale, if you buy three bras, you'll get an extra Super V bra of your choice completely for free. Again, sorry for not telling you earlier!"

"Is… Is that so?"

"Yes, ma'am," she said with a smile. "All the more incentive to at least try it out, isn't it?"

It was. And in fact, it was the final nail in my own coffin.

Moral and filial goodness were chucked out the window. At the end of the day, the shopaholic wins… always.

Feeling extremely guilty, I inwardly apologized to my parents as well as myself for being so useless, before grabbing a handful of bras to try out in the nearest fitting room. I shuffled over to Makoto's side. He was still busy admiring the sights and sounds of the streets outside.

"Hey, um, Makoto?"

He turned to me. "Hmm? What is it, Ai?"

"Gee, it's really embarrassing for me to ask, but…" I took a deep breath. "…could you wait for me a bit? It wouldn't take long."

"What wouldn't?"

I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly, giggling nervously and developing a reddish tint on my cheeks. "Ehehe… Well, the truth is I want to buy one of the bras here, and um, I need to test them out. B-But I don't mean anything weird by that! It's just like buying clothes, is all! Nothing weird about it, right? !"

"Um, y-yeah… nothing weird." He looked away, cupping his nose.

"Not again, Makoto! Don't get a nosebleed from something like this! First a smutty movie, now this. You and your uncontrollable animal urges!"

"D-Don't call me an animal…"

I fixed him with a warning glare before disappearing behind the curtain of the nearest fitting room. A little afterthought later, I poked my head out and added, "And no peeking!"

"I wouldn't!" he said nervously, blushing deeply. "I'm a pretty respectable person, you know!"

_That's true_, I thought to myself as I started stripping in privacy. Makoto may have his little perverted thoughts at times, but then what guy doesn't? To be honest, even though I act exasperated at him for letting his fantasies go out of hand, I didn't really mind him. All that mattered to me was that he's nice and normal and cool. Besides, if I were to subject him to gender bias, it wouldn't be fair…

…because I'm like him too. I've tried to limit my tendency to cook up wild dreams about him, but I've had little success. I'm not even a stalker or a fanatic, but on the days when I can't get him out of my head, he and I would invariably end up doing incredibly kinky things together… in my dreams of course.

We're all perverts to some degree, but… was I actually worse than him?

Oh no. My imagination was starting to go haywire right now. How many times did this have to happen?

"_As per the regulations that are bound within the premises occupied by Lacy Temptations…" said Shigemi, managing the amazing feat of balancing both firmness and politeness simultaneously, "…couples are to enter the fitting room together when trying out new lingerie."_

"_What? !" I spluttered, unable to believe my ears. "You're telling us to go inside together? !"_

"_In you go, sir, ma'am," she said, robot-like, shoving Makoto and I inside the nearest fitting room and drawing the curtain closed. "And remember to have fun."_

"_Oh well, we might as well make the best of this," shrugged Makoto, trapping me against the wall mirror. I shivered in fright._

"_Makoto, what are you doing? !"_

"_Have I ever told you how gorgeous you are, Ai?" he said, his voice husky as his warm breath raked my neck. His handsome face was so close to me… "Let's help you put this little bra on…"_

"_Ah… no, Makoto… please wait…" I protested. Something about the way he was breathing onto my neck made my limbs go all putty-like. I was powerless to fight back as he undid the first few buttons of my shirt, tossing the ribbon aside in the process. I couldn't believe for one minute that he was doing this to me._

"_Let me soften you up first…" he whispered seductively, spreading my collar open. And with that he began to trail his tongue all over my neck._

"_S-Stop… Makoto… ah… please stop…" Even then the feeling of his moist tongue on my skin was heavenly. Despite myself, I didn't want him to stop. I felt his fingers playing around with my bra straps. Was he actually planning to…? ! Eep! My heart wasn't ready for this!_

I screamed.

"AAAAAH! ! !"

And then I realized too late that while I had been daydreaming, the scream was real. It was too bad nobody was deaf. Everyone in the shop must have heard it. The blush on my face grew so red. But that wasn't the end of the horror…

"Ai! Are you alright in there? !" Makoto, with all the bravado of a superhero, slashed the curtain open to come to my rescue. "What happened to y–"

I was naked except for my panties and a newly-tested Super V bra. Makoto could do nothing for himself, too shocked was he at the sight of his gal pal decked out in the lingerie of every man's dream. We just stood there frozen in time as we stared at each other, dumbfounded. Shigemi's eyes opened at last and grew to the size of dinner plates, and the other customers were blinking furiously.

How did my worst nightmare come true? Was there a theory that said we gravitate towards our most prominent fears and thoughts?

I had no time to ponder that, though. I was gripped by an urge to kill. My right eye was twitching with rage.

Paralysed, he squeaked in a tiny voice. "Ai… Oh… Uh, wow. I mean… um, I'm sorry?"

"DIE! ! !"

He suffered the full brunt of a karate chop to the face. "ARGH!"

XOXOXOXOXO

"Thank you, please come again!" said Shigemi, bowing as we left the shop at last. As we walked back to our homes I couldn't look at Makoto.

I could tell he was feeling bad that he had caught me in such a state of undress. Along the way home he made several attempts at making up with me, but I just didn't have the heart to forgive him yet. Actually, though I was greatly humiliated, I wasn't _that_ angry at him. But I wanted to make him feel bad for his grave little mistake.

At least he was sincere, though. "Ai, let me help you with that bag," he offered. "It must be hard carrying both a briefcase and a bag at the same time, right?"

"No, I'm fine," I said coldly.

Again he tried to get through to me. "Ai, for the millionth time, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to catch you unawares like that. I thought you were in danger when you screamed like that."

I let out a groan in a display of annoyance. "Well, whatever. But really, this could have gone better."

With a cough he admitted, "Sorry… I'm just so awkward sometimes, especially when it comes to women. I never seem to get how the opposite sex works and, well, I end up looking weird in their eyes."

That's not true… You could be irresistibly smooth at times. That's partly why I fell in love with you in the first place!

"I haven't had a single date in my whole life because of that," he said in a self-deprecating manner. "At this rate, I'll end up single and old in a few decades' time."

"Not one date?" That was something I didn't know. "But you were quite popular back in high school. I should know, I was an underclassman of yours after all!"

"Heh… Well, fate just wasn't on my side, I guess. That's fine, though. It gave me the chance to bond with the people I felt were most important in my life, and I don't really need to say this but… you're one of them."

My heart lurched for a moment. "M-Me?"

With a faraway look in his eyes, he said, "I remember when you first came to Seiko High. You were this timid, clumsy, awkward girl who lacked experience and was, albeit for a short time, going around without a clue of how to go about things, kind of like a headless chicken."

Urk! My body felt like it was being riddled with a whole salvo of sharp knives. "Makoto… did… did you have to be so blunt?"

He patted my shoulder gently to comfort me, though it did little to take the sting out of his words. "Ahaha… I'm not finished yet."

"What? !"

"Relax," he chuckled. "You were all those things I mentioned, but at the same time, you were kind of intriguing."

Both confused and curious, I listened closely. I was… intriguing? His smile grew wider.

"Even though your first steps into secondary education must have been a great challenge for you, you never once gave up. You didn't have many friends at the time, and it must have been tough to fit in, but you never complained and you never faltered. And you worked so hard to have yourself a better life at school. Few people I know have the tenacity that you do. And… I like that about you."

He seemed so happy talking about me. Not surprisingly, my body was heating up. "I… well, that's just the way I am," I said humbly. "But… how do you know about all this?"

"Well, I'd been observing you."

"Y-You were… observing me?"

"I observe all of my friends, upper- and underclassmen alike. That was my duty as a member of the Student Council. But you were pretty interesting, so I paid special attention to you. And…" He scratched his cheek bashfully. "…the fact that you're cute is a nice bonus, so I made it a point to watch especially you."

He… He called me cute! ! ! I couldn't believe it! No, don't faint here, Ai. Deep breaths, deep breaths!

"Anyway," he continued, "I'm glad I watched over you. Otherwise I'd have missed out on the chance to make a precious friend in you."

By this point my skin was cooked lobster-red and steam was billowing from the top of my head. I had never been so flattered in my life and I was so happy…

Makoto shot me a cheeky grin. "Just to change the topic a little, are you still mad at me, Ai?"

"Idiot!" I replied, exasperated though not angry. "After you said all those good things about me, how can I stay mad at you? You're so sly. I bet complimenting me into forgiving you was your plan all this while."

"It isn't. I mean what I say. But if it can get me off the hook, then all the better!" He broke into hearty laughter. "Gosh, your face is awfully red. I wonder why…"

"C-Can it! Hmph! You're a pain. Well, I'll see you tomorrow as usual, but for today you can walk back by yourself! Later!" And with that I sprinted off so he couldn't see anymore of my reddened cheeks.

"Whoa, Ai! Wait up!" His laughter echoed down the streets.

XOXOXOXOXO

Never in my life was I ever so happy! I was floating on cloud nine! Oh, joyous day!

I never knew Makoto thought of me that way… that I was hardworking and perseverant… Actually, come to think of it, I didn't really do anything special. While it was true that I initially had a hard time adjusting to life at school, when it came down to it, I was simply going about my business of doing what a good student should be doing. All I could say was that if he liked the way I did things then I wasn't going to complain.

So many things occurred today – we got caught in the rain, had an embarrassing time in an adult video store, escaped from the clutches of a man-eating man, and found ourselves in a pretty awkward situation where I was very scantily dressed. Yes, they were all unfortunate events, but it's fine! Because now I knew what it was about myself that tickled Makoto's fancy! Hee hee!

Oh, put a lid on your groaning. I was aware that I sounded silly right now but… who cares. I was madly in love.

But my reverie was broken the moment Mum saw the new lingerie I had bought. She had quite the fit. As expected of a parent who could not stand her daughter's spending habits.

"Exactly how many clothes do you want to buy before you're satisfied? !" she seethed. "Your closet is close to exploding!"

Ugh… I knew this stroke of good fortune had to have a catch somewhere…

…

**Author's note: Shigemi Konno and HT Masuoka are not original characters. They actually appear in the game as shopkeepers. Shigemi is the waitress found in one of the two Sunshine Restaurant branches. HT Masuoka can be found at le Grand in Cadoi City. As for why Shigemi is not a waitress here, that'd have to come later…**


	5. 5: HT Masuoka Fiasco, Part One

**Moon and Sun (Part 5)  
><strong>by BrDPirateMan

Another Friday dealt with, another week of school gone. And once again the weekend tempted me with promises of fun and relaxation. When I think about how I could survive week after week of school, it's amazing. Evil teachers, sadistic exams, piles of homework, and canteen food – oh, god, the canteen food! Since when was the chef's special supposed to have a chicken foot as garnishing? !

That was why going out to have fun and blow off steam was important for me. There was no way I could take it if I didn't have an outlet to ease the pressures of school life. There was only so much bad canteen food I could take before I caved in.

With my parents in a foul mood from my last clothing purchase, I didn't go shopping this time. I was planning instead to have some nice and simple noodles at Ramen Don to negate the terrible taste of my last school meal, where the rice was soggy, the chicken was dry, and the miso soup tasted like radioactive waste.

It was a Saturday morning and I was set to have a hot date with a bowl of shio ramen when my cell phone rang. Who could it be? If it was Mina, she had better not want to come over to copy my Math homework again!

I answered the call and didn't even have the chance to utter the second syllable of "Hello" when the caller started spewing an unintelligible mess of words right into my ear. Thinking at first that it was one of those crank callers with plenty of time to spare, I was tempted to hang up. But I quickly recognized the voice.

"Wait… hold on!" I interjected, "Stop! Heel! Makoto, is that you?"

"Yes, yes, it's me!" he spluttered, in a panicky tone unlike his usual self. "Ai, you've got to help me!"

"What's wrong? And will you calm down?"

"Sorry, Ai. Yeah, I'll… I'll calm down. Deep breath and everything."

Poor guy's far from calm… "Did something happen?" I asked. "Is your boss chasing after you for not making the deadline?"

"Th-This is no time for jokes, Ai," he said, "I'm in a really tight spot, and… please! You're the only one I can turn to for help."

For the normally calm and collected Makoto to sound like he was being chased by a hungry T-Rex wasn't something that happened often. I looked out the window. Would it rain spears? But if he needed help, as his friend I was more than willing to provide it, as long as it was within my means. Well, that and I could raise his affection for me… And no, this was no ulterior motive. A _bonus advantage_ would be a gentler way of putting it. Yes.

"Why don't you start by telling me what's troubling you?" I said kindly.

"I've got a lot to explain. It's troublesome to talk over the phone so I think we should meet up somewhere."

"Alright, cool with me." What predicament could have presented itself to him that he would be reduced to this stuttering wreck?

XOXOXOXOXO

"Shio ramen is so delicious!" my voice quavered with delight and emotion. "I can never tire of this!"

In front of me was a bowl of noodles, for which I was immensely grateful. It had been so, so long since my last bowl in Ramen Don where we were now relaxing. The noodles did wonders for my jaded taste buds and everything else was just a blur that I largely ignored until Makoto snapped me out of my MSG-laden trance.

"Ai!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. After all the trash that I had to put up with in the school canteen, I just couldn't control myself." I slurped up more noodles with great enthusiasm.

"Well, okay, I can understand that," he sighed. "I used to be a student of Seiko High myself. But please get a hold of yourself and listen to me."

"Sorry about that. Please, do carry on."

His apprehension made him look like a shadow of his former self. And this was the guy who used to be in the Student Council back in school, afraid of neither hoodlum nor scary PE teacher. There was nothing I could think of that could have such a powerful crippling effect on him.

Makoto's gaze darted left and right nervously, as if looking out for any possible eavesdroppers. "I'm not gonna beat about the bush with this one," he said, "I'm being harassed by a guy who has a massive crush on me!"

I paused, frozen in mid-slurp. The ramen was dangling from my mouth like a walrus' teeth.

"You're being chased by a man? !" I blurted, swallowing the last mouthful of ramen hard.

"Keep it down, Ai!" he whispered, "We don't want the whole world to know that this is happening to me!"

"You're being chased by a man," I repeated, incredulous. "Wow, this is pretty huge!" This was getting interesting, not that I was a fan of the boy-love stuff, but I had never actually seen it happening in real-life, so I was curious. "Makoto, just so we're clear… you're still straight, right?"

"Of course I am!" he groaned, "I like girls just like every other guy too, you know."

That was a relief. I knew Makoto wasn't like that male secret admirer of his, but it was still comforting to know that I hadn't been chasing after an impossible dream.

"Who's this person?" I asked, "Do you know him?"

"We've met him before. You know, back in Cadoi City? That was on Monday, I believe."

I scanned through my memory but found nothing. "Remind me again, Makoto?"

He hesitated, reluctant to speak, as though talking about it would induce more bad memories. Maybe it really was that bad…

"W-Well, if you don't want to talk about it," I said hurriedly, "I can understand. That's fine."

"No, no, it's okay. It's just… ugh… so horrifying… That guy… that shopkeeper back in Cadoi City… He calls himself HT Masuoka. And he's the one who's the source of all my problems right now."

HT Masuoka? ! Now I remembered! He was the one who displayed an overt and disgusting fondness of Makoto, fawning over him like he was a king. Apparently the fellow just fell in love with my poor friend at first sight.

"Oh boy," I whistled through my teeth. "So it's him? Considering how crazy he was in the first place, I'm not surprised he'd become a stalker."

"Don't act nonchalant over something like this! My sanity is at stake here! And… And…" He wrung his hands until his knuckles turned ghostly white. "He's really serious about it too, because the next day after we met him, I found this in my letterbox."

From his shirt pocket he produced an envelope which was such a blazing pink in colour that my eyes hurt. He handed it to me with shaking fingers, saying, "Take a look.

"And please…" he added, holding up his hands, "keep it away from me."

Confused, I opened it up and inside I found a note, also pink. The fact that a man had specifically used pink letter paper was worrying enough, but the bad feeling I had only worsened when I read the note. Such an evil thing was enough to send lesser men into a slobbering, catatonic state.

In prim and proper handwriting, surrounded by lots of hearts neatly drawn using red ink, it read:

"_To my dearest Makoto Miki,_

_Yesterday a nasty fall  
><em>_Could have ended lil' ol me  
><em>_But like an angel, with wings and all,  
><em>_You saved me from injury._

_I shudder to think about how I could  
><em>_Have crushed my fragile brain  
><em>_Now that I'm safe, and in fine mood  
><em>_I feel I can live again!_

_Plentiful is my thanks to you  
><em>_There's nothing that can quite say  
><em>_How happy I am that I feel like new  
><em>_I might hug you, I just may!_

_Even though it was one day  
><em>_That we saw one another  
><em>_I have a feeling that we just may  
><em>_Be destined for each other._

_So Makoto hon, do hear my plea  
><em>_Of words I need to stress  
><em>_I ask of you to marry me  
><em>_And please, do say yes!_

_From your beloved,  
><em>_HT Masuoka"_

My hands were shaking from disgust by the time I reached the end of the note. "What the heck? ! A love poem? !"

Though some of the words that were used to make the poem rhyme made it sound forced and awkward, one couldn't help but notice that HT Masuoka must have put in a lot of effort into this. And of course, that was very disturbing in itself…

"Take it away!" pleaded Makoto, "and shred it, burn it, whatever! Just… He's crazy. Mad! That guy is seriously messed up in his mind! Meets me for the first time and now he clings onto me! Argh!"

I could only blink, stupefied. "Makoto, I don't remember you ever saving him from a 'nasty fall'."

"Of course I didn't. That's just one of his many tasteless delusions!"

"I'm… speechless."

"At first I thought it was just a very tasteless prank, so it went into the wastepaper basket right away. But he didn't let up! He kept sending me lots of stupid stuff! Up until now!"

"How many things did he give you anyway?"

"A lot," Makoto answered, "And there's a startling variety too, ranging from pressed flowers to origami cranes and… He even sent about fifty photos of himself in a big envelope… I may never sleep again…"

"I definitely don't wanna look at them," I said, quickly losing my appetite, though it was a good thing I was close to finishing my ramen.

"I'm very troubled by all of this. He shadows me wherever I go and every day there's something from him in my letterbox."

"Everyday? ! Oh gosh, that's no good. You've got to put an end to this or you'll age twice as fast."

"His behaviour is getting worse with each day. If I don't stop this, he might break into my own home!" He bit his fingernail, something I had never seen him do.

"Eew… that's creepy…" The mental image of a man breaking down the front door of Makoto's apartment, cackling and drooling madly, was overpoweringly gross. I didn't feel like eating anymore.

"That's why I need you to help me, Ai. It's getting serious."

"Okay, I got it, Makoto," I said with determination in my voice, "I will go see him and tell him to stop bothering you!"

"Ai, I appreciate your kindness, but I'm afraid that with people like him it's not so easy. He's persistent to a fault. He would chase someone to the ends of the earth. You could evade him all you wanted but he would still find you. So just because someone tells him to knock it off doesn't mean that it would stop him. And in any case, that's not how I'd like you to help me."

"Then what should I do?" I asked, puzzled.

He stroked his chin slowly. "The only real way to stop a psycho like him is to show him irrefutable proof that I have no feelings for him. We need very good evidence that's so convincing he'll back down."

I grasped the back of my neck. "If there's only one way to play, then do you have any plans?"

"I do in fact have one, but we'll have to hop out of our comfort zones for a bit."

"What do you mean?"

And when he told me of his grand plan to stop HT Masuoka once and for all, I could have sworn that hell had frozen over.

"Ai," he said, "I want you to be my girlfriend."

Nothing could quite describe my shock upon hearing those words.

"WHAT? !" I shrieked, backing away in my chair. Makoto almost jumped out of his skin, as did the rest of the customers in the shop. Ken Doi, the ramen shop owner, lost his balance and the bowl of ramen he was holding slipped out of his hand, but he managed to grab it in time.

"Don't add to my embarrassment, Ai…" Makoto shuddered, staring forcefully at his bowl of half-finished noodles and refusing to make eye contact with anyone.

After a hasty apology on my part, I continued, though with much more poise than before, "Um… I… I don't know what to say…" My head was spinning, my skin was boiling. Was being together with Makoto no longer just a dream? I had no idea that he liked me more than I thought. But in the context of our current conversation, suddenly switching topics like this was more than a little awkward. Yes, something was a bit off, though I couldn't quite pinpoint the exact reason…

But if he really meant it, then the least I could do was to give him an honest reply. Finally it had come to this. It was time to muster all of my courage and say the magic words. I took a deep breath. _It's go time, Ai!_

"Makoto… This is so sudden," I stuttered, "But, you know, I… I lo–"

"Ah, sorry, my bad," he said, scratching the back of his head, "I should have been more specific. You see, what I'd like you to do is to pretend to be my girlfriend."

Ouch. So much for an early happy ending…

"Oh… I see…" I nodded, hoping that by doing so I had a smooth way out of my botched would-be confession. The disappointment was hard to mask but I tried my best. Darn it, that could have gone so well… And it took a lot of guts too… It felt like I had been flying in the air and my wings were suddenly and rudely clipped.

For all his intelligence, Makoto was painfully oblivious to my sinking heart as usual. Rrgh… so irresistibly cute yet so idiotic!

"I happened to meet Masuoka at a bus-stop yesterday," he said, "and as usual, he couldn't stop… whatever he does. Ugh… the horror…" He dug his knuckles into his forehead.

I patted his free hand which was resting on the table. "There, there…"

"Thanks… Anyway, he kept asking if I received his gifts and if I liked them, and I took the opportunity to tell him that I already have a girlfriend. But as luck would have it, he wasn't convinced… He said I was just shy, and playing hard-to-get…"

"Men don't play hard-to-get anyway…" I sighed.

"I told him that I wasn't interested in him at all, and that I was telling the truth about being in a relationship already. But he said he wanted to meet up with this 'girlfriend' of mine tomorrow to have a chat with her. Basically he just wants to see if I'm telling fibs or not."

"And so to make the lie look real, you'd have me pose as your other half?"

"Please, Ai!" he begged, brows furrowed with worry. "Please help me. I don't think I can take this any longer. It's bothering me to the point where I can't even relax in my own home!"

"But why me, Makoto?" I asked cautiously. Surely there had to be a reason why he had to specifically ask for _my_ help. I was just curious. Not suspicious or anything, just curious.

He had an honest and reasonable answer to that. "I can't get the girls in my company to cooperate with me because it would invariably set tongues wagging. Office politics is really scary, Ai… And I've lost contact with many of my female schoolmates who have moved away from Shibuya. The ones who are still around, however, are either busy with their work or have boyfriends already, or are both. So I really hate to bother you, but you're the only one I can turn to now." That certainly made a lot of sense.

So Makoto actually wanted me to play as his loving girlfriend for a while. Could I utilize this once-in-a-lifetime chance to reveal my true feelings to him? Or would it be too inappropriate to do so? Maybe I could turn this situation to my favour.

_I should think about this carefully_, I thought to myself. _In the meantime…_

"Alright," I said, with a smile. "Sounds like a job for me! If I don't save poor Makoto, no one will." I playfully poked him in the forehead.

His eyes lit up like stars in the night. "Really, Ai? ! Do you really mean it? !"

"Of course! What, shall I change my mind then?"

"Uh, n-no!" he cried hastily. "Don't! If I can't get that pest off my back, I'll never have peace of mind!"

I giggled at his panicked expression. Sometimes, messing around with his head was plain fun.

"Ha ha ha, I wasn't serious. Now let's see… all I have to do is to pretend to be your girlfriend… What else should I know?"

"The meeting with HT Masuoka is tomorrow, 10 am, at an alley in Miyashita Park," he explained, "You just need to show up with me when I meet up with him."

Wow, this really felt like I was going on some sort of top-secret mission. I half-expected Makoto to say, "This bowl of ramen will self-destruct in five seconds."

"What will I say to him?" I asked.

"Well, you generally don't need to speak much because I'm doing most of the talking. But you need to play your part convincingly. Wouldn't it be strange if, for example, you push me away when I wrap my arm around your shoulders?"

"Y-Yeah, th-that's true…" I gulped, glowing quickly. Gosh, that was an incredibly romantic image. He did it once during the Hachi Fest and it felt so nice. I wouldn't mind if he did that again.

"Hold on," I said, with an uneasy pause. "I just thought of something. Something I never thought of till just now."

"Huh?"

"Um… It's really embarrassing, but the truth… The truth is…"

"What is it? You can tell me; I'm your best friend."

"The truth is I've never dated anyone before. I have no idea of _how to be a girlfriend!_"

He stared at me with eyebrows raised in apparent surprise. But I had a strong point to drive home here. If I didn't know how to act out my part, how would I be able to convince HT Masuoka that Makoto was going out with me?

"What should I do?" I gulped. "I… I don't know if I should stroke your arm or call you 'honey'! How should I greet you when I see you? With a hug? A peck on the cheek? And I'm not sure if we should hold hands while we're walking together. The point is, I'm just a beginner in the dating side of things. And then, of course, there's the matter of – "

"Calm down, Ai," he said. Ironically, now he was the one calming me down when it was the opposite just minutes ago. "I see your point. If we want to convince that freak, we have to act like we've been together for some time…" The blush on his face was getting noticeably redder. "…and that means we may have to do some of the things you just mentioned. But I'm sure we'll handle that well enough as long as it's not too hammy."

I gasped and cupped my mouth with both hands. "I… I've never kissed anyone before…" I mumbled in a too-soft voice, "And I don't think my heart is ready yet…" My ears were burning, weren't they? I just knew they were burning.

"We don't need to go _that_ far, Ai," he chuckled. "We're just pretending. And I'm not ready either… Plus, I'm in the same boat as you in the sense that I don't know much about dating."

"Oh, um… really?" Interesting… He hadn't gone out with anyone before… "I'd have thought you'd have scores of girls coming after you like you're a famous pop star."

"Ha ha! I'm not Eiji, you know," he laughed, referring to Eiji Oji, a rising Shibuyan pop star and a close friend of his (I'll tell you more about Eiji later). "In fact, I'm glad I'm not him. It'd be hard to go anywhere with all those fangirls crawling all over me."

"Money can't buy everything… elbow room being one of them."

"I'd need a force field to just walk around."

"So are you ready for tomorrow's 'date'?"

"Oh yes," he huffed, "this is my best chance to get rid of that annoying guy. I'll just wrap my arm around you and stuff. I wouldn't do anything weird, don't worry. But at least look the part, okay?"

"Okay," I said, nodding, "I think I know what to do. I'll just need to watch a few soap operas for some pointers."

He gave me a broad and kind smile. "You'll do fine, Ai."

XOXOXOXOXO

My mind was reeling from the situation I had now found myself in. Even though this was a fake date, it was still a date, right? And Makoto said for me to act like we were in love… If I played my cards right, I could actually induce some genuine feelings in him. Not make-believe; it'd be the real stuff. Well, not that I was out to seduce him or anything…

But I had to think about this very carefully. So I paid Mina a visit.

We were relaxing in her room, sitting on her bed, when I spilled the news for her.

"Spectaculous!" she squealed, "You finally got asked on a date by Makoto!"

"Um, it's not a real date," I corrected her, "and what's 'spectaculous' anyway?"

I related my story, punctuated no less than ten or eleven times with a "Really? !" or "No way!" from her. "And that's the gist of it," I said when I had finished, "and please don't say another 'Really? !' or 'No way!', because it's starting to get annoying."

"Wow, that's one heck of a tale, Ai," Mina breathed. "But I'm sorry, this is so out-of-this-world that I simply have to say it one last time: No way!"

"Ugh…"

Stroking her chin like she was a criminal contemplating a dastardly deed, she said, "HT Masuoka may pose a big problem for Makoto, but it's because of him that you'll be able to make some serious progress soon. I mean, think about it!" Her eyes were gleaming like gold glitter. "You could be as flirty as you want and you wouldn't even look weird! Heck, we could even revive Operation Creeping Snake!"

"But Operation Creeping Snake was all about subtlety," I said, "Here we're actually stepping into the realm of lovebird stuff. I'm not really sure how to act out my part, so I thought maybe you could give me some pointers."

"Eh? Me?" Mina pointed a finger at herself. "I'm still officially boyfriend-less, Ai, so I've never actually gotten up and close and cozy with a boy…"

"I thought you're a fan of soap operas," I said, with a hint of sarcasm. "You should have picked up one or two things by now."

"Oh, and I thought you're the one who said soap operas were 'no yardstick'," she retorted, rolling her eyes and clawing the air with two fingers on each hand to denote quotes. Darn, there was no argument I could win against her. She always won, regardless of whether her reasoning was sound or not. And most of the time, it was never sound. Which made it much sadder.

"Fine, you win again." I threw my arms in the air. "But I really need some help. I have sort of an idea. It's just that I don't know if it's appropriate."

"Ah, I get it," she said, "You don't know whether to lick his face or nibble his neck."

"I'm doing neither of those things! Get serious, Mina."

But she only laughed, stopping only when I bopped her on the head with her pillow.

"Ha ha! Okay, okay, you can stop now. Ha ha ha…"

"Good," I said, not eager to hear another one of her bad jokes anytime soon, "now will you please lend me a hand here, Miss Laughalot?"

Mina shuffled to the foot of the bed, placed her feet on the floor and then fell back on the bed with her hands behind her head. She looked up at me, asking, "But what exactly do you want to do?"

I hugged her pillow close to my chest, pretending for the briefest of moments that it was Makoto I was holding in my arms. "I was thinking maybe I could hold onto his arm while we're walking… I've seen couples do that, you know…" My body heat was rising as I talked, just like how a lobster turns red as it slowly gets cooked. "Or… Or I could help him adjust his necktie… or… or help to prepare his breakfast… or…"

"Ai, your ideas are straying into marriage. With the exception of the last one, those are all good ideas. They should help strengthen the notion that you and Makoto are indeed going out, and stop that Masuoka idiot in his tracks. Plus it's like indirect flirting!" A wide grin of anticipation spread over her face. But wasn't flirting indirect already?

"I guess I was right after all," I said, "I'm in the right track, then. That's good."

"Still, you don't sound confident enough," she said, "Trying out your moves for the first time tomorrow could be disastrous. You're not prepared, are you?"

"Um, what are you talking about?" If Mina was anything to go by, she would have some harebrained idea churning inside that head of hers right about now. I could never forget that one time last year when our school had a charity event and we students were free to contribute homemade snacks to sell. She and I, like many others, had volunteered to bake something up, and somehow she had convinced me that adding a dash of tomato ketchup to our already bizarre-sounding banana-and-raisin cookies would "bring out the best of flavours". Till this day I don't know how she managed to make me think that tri-flavoured cookies would be an instant hit.

They weren't. Best of flavours, my foot.

And as for the poor souls who tried our cookies and almost died, I was eternally apologetic towards them.

I thought to stop her before she could say anything. But I was too late.

With a nonchalant tone, she said, "Well, you should at least practice those moves, you know. Why don't you pretend I'm Makoto and try them on me?"

"WHAT? !" I yelped, nearly falling off the side of the bed, "Are you nuts? !"

"What's the matter?" she said, confused. "Don't I look like him? I've got short black hair like him and everything… well, not everything, but yeah, you get the point. Oh wait, I know! Silly me! Why don't I show you how it's done instead, and then you can –"

"Mina!" I fumed, "We're both girls! How can I do lovey-dovey romantic stuff with _you? !_ Don't you feel disgusted? At all?"

With a shrug, she casually replied, "We're just pretending. So… not really." I almost fainted on the spot.

"What do you mean, 'not really'? ! It's a big deal for me!" On hindsight, I could have just flat-out refused to cooperate with her, but it never crossed my mind back then. And even if it did, I don't think Mina would let me go off so easily…

"Look, Ai," she said, with a firm look on her face which showed that she meant business. "You can't do your thing tomorrow if you're unprepared. In fact, the same goes for everything we do! As an example, when you go shopping, do you leave your cash at home?"

"N-No, but –"

"Would an actor in a play forget his lines midway through?"

"No…"

"Good! Now, when you sit for an exam, would you go unprepared?"

"Don't _you_ do that all the time? You're always cramming at the last minute and asking me for emergency tips on how to survive the next Physics test."

She gulped, knowing that I had hit a nerve. "Sh-Shut up! You're my friend; how can you say this? (Damn… Wrong example…) L-Look, the point is, if you know your stuff then you can strut it! Get my drift?"

"I do, but still… this is a bit weird."

She rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "Oh brother, we're getting nowhere."

Tired of waiting around for me, she swiftly enveloped one arm around my shoulder, pulling me close. Despite my initial surprise and the perplexity from her doing this for seemingly no reason, I felt nothing wrong. We were both accustomed to hugging each other in a friendly, non-threatening gal pal kind of way (girls do this a lot; boys… probably not at all). But the next thing she did set alarm bells ringing inside my head.

"Alright, Ai, listen up," she said, "I'm going to teach you some things that you should do with Makoto, so you'd better remember them well."

I cringed and immediately started to panic. "Wh-What do you want to do with me? !" I blabbered, "You're not going to show me how to make out, are you? ! I'm not practicing that with you!"

"Ai," she sighed, "I like boys as much as you do. Are we clear on that?"

"Um… I think so?" I wasn't too sure. With Mina, anything was possible.

"We are not going to do _that_. We've known each other for so long and you take me for a pervert? I'm not like Masuoka. And if it puts you at ease, there's a guy in our class whom I like a lot."

"Oh, really?" I was thoroughly surprised. Come to think of it, Mina had never mentioned anything about having a crush on anyone. Everyone knew her as the class clown, the easy-going joker… Miss Laughalot. We never thought of her as even capable of harbouring romantic feelings. The day when she would have a boyfriend or even think of having one, would be the day when the earth stood still. She just didn't seem that sort of person. She wasn't romantic like me.

But I guess miracles do happen. And the earth does stand still at times…

"Wh-Who is it?" I asked, curious to know the identity of her mystery man.

"That can wait," she said, firmly. "You have a Flirting 101 class to attend, young lady."

"Y-Young lady…?" Could I count on her advice? This had better work.

"Well, it goes without saying," she began, "that you absolutely need to feel him up. It's simple, just stroke his back. Like this."

"Wait, what're you – Hieeeek!" Her hand was gliding up and down my back slowly. In an instant my skin was riddled with a cactus-like layer of goosebumps. I was starting to tremble, the reason being two-fold: one, a girl was doing this to me, and two, did I really have to do this with Makoto? Wasn't this too much?

"H-Hey, Mina, this is too weird! And wouldn't he think I'm a slut? !"

"Relax, it's fairly normal," she replied, "Besides, as an ambiguous gesture, you can easily play it off as being friendly. No biggie, right?"

Half-convinced, I said, "Even if we're pretending, there's gotta be a limit to things…"

"Now, in addition to the back rub," she continued, almost sounding like a teacher, "you should probably go for the arm lock. Just like you mentioned earlier."

"The arm what? …Whoa, hey!"

Mina hooked her arm around my left one, and then rested her free hand on that arm… much like what a bride would hold on to the groom's arm as they walked down the aisle. Well, this seemed to be okay. I had this warm fuzzy feeling inside me as I imagined walking down the streets with Makoto like this… Oh, that must be fun. Yeah, definitely worth a shot.

Mina had to ruin my daydream, however. "You were spacing out. Everything okay, _honey?_"

"What! What did you say? !"

She shook her head like a fussy headmaster. "That wouldn't do at all, Ai. Not at all! If Makoto calls you 'honey', how can you respond by shouting 'What did you say? !' That'll totally ruin the mood… and give the game away in the process."

"R-Right, I forgot." She had a point. "But then what should I say?"

"You should say…" And with that she swiftly wrapped both of her arms around my neck, breathing into my ear, "'Oh Makoto sweetie, with you everything's okay' – HNGH!"

The side of my hand ended up lodged right in the centre of her face.

"Th-That's enough!" I said. "That is positively repulsive!"

"Ow… Y-You didn't need to karate chop my beautiful face!" Her eyes were welling up with tears as she rubbed her nose to dull the pain. "You've always had fast reflexes but sometimes they're too fast." I personally attribute my speedy reaction time to my being a cheerleader for two years straight and counting…

"O-Okay, I've had enough," I said, "I think I know what to do for tomorrow. But I'll be sure to do a few practice runs tonight by myself. So, um, thanks… I think. Just don't do it again."

"You _should_ be thankful!" she huffed, although in an amused way. "This precious information is the culmination of a lot of watching TV dramas, reading manga, and taking in various other quality media." Quality media? I wasn't sure I could call it that…

"I hope tomorrow will turn out well," I said, running a hand over my forehead. "HT Masuoka sounds like one relentless beast of a she-man."

Despite her throbbing nose, Mina said cheerily, "You'll be alright! As long as you stay alert and keep your cool, and transform completely into Makoto's girlfriend, you'll be able to pull off the act convincingly enough!

"I wish I could be there to see it in action though," she added, "I've got a few relatives over from Omotesando and my family and I need to entertain them. Anyway, I wouldn't be able to provide you with on-site support. You'll have to go this alone, Ai."

"Okay, got it. Well, I should get going, Mina." I stood up to leave. "Have fun with your relatives, and… Hope your nose is okay by tomorrow."

"Where's a simple 'sorry' when you need one?" she muttered a little bitterly, still rubbing the hell out of her facial injury. "If I get a bruise you owe me ramen for a week." She had better not be serious…

XOXOXOXOXO

When I returned home, I was suddenly reminded of the practice session that Mina and I had earlier. Thinking about how she did all those things gave me the creeps anew. How she threw her arms around me, saying sweet nothings while breathing in my ear… I knew that both of us were not interested in girls, but even with that piece of knowledge it was hardly comforting.

I took my sweet time in the bath scrubbing away the disgust as best as I could, but it was difficult. Perhaps therapy sounded like a more viable option…

"Ai!" It was my mother, shouting through the bathroom door and obviously cross. "You've been in there for an hour and a half already! Aren't you going to come out? !"

"I will, Mum!" I cried, soaping myself up for the, uh, I don't know… 27th time? Probably a wrong estimate. Could be more, could be less.

All I knew was, I started with a fresh bar of soap, and now it's almost completely gone…


	6. 6: HT Masuoka Fiasco, Part Two

**Moon and Sun (Part 6)  
><strong>by BrDPirateMan

The day that I had been eagerly awaiting with heart a-palpitating had finally come. It was also the day Makoto had been both dreading and looking forward to. Dreading because he would have to come face-to-face with the man-loving shopkeeper HT Masuoka. Looking forward to it because if all went well he could be left in peace without a man always clinging to him like glue.

"Alright, I've got to do my best today!" I said to myself. "Makoto's counting on me!"

It was around 9 am, a full hour before the agreed meeting time, so I had some time to go over my lines a little. Let's see… What did Mina suggest that I should say? Oh yeah. "Oh Makoto sweetie, I'm sooo glad to see you! I love you forever and ever!"

I paused.

"No no no no! That's way too much!" I shook my head vigorously. "I can't do that! Ugh!"

I couldn't believe Mina could think up of something like that. Seriously, what dramas does that girl watch in her free time? I would have to tone her advice down a notch or two for it to be even bearable.

My mother's voice called through the door. "Ai, Mina's here to see you."

Mina? "Alright, coming!"

Every time she paid me a visit or vice versa, we'd convene in the room of the visited, where we could talk to our hearts' content. So like usual, I had dragged Mina to my room, where she obviously had something to say.

"I thought your relatives are coming today," I said, "so what brings you here?"

She was beaming from ear to ear and had brought a backpack for some reason. "They _are_ coming today alright, but I still have a little bit of free time. Anyway, this is just some last-minute stuff, but I've got just the thing to give you an edge with your act!"

"Oh, really?" Any extra help was welcome, although to be honest, I was a little unsure. Whether this thing that Mina wanted to give me would really be of any use… I'd have to see.

And I was right to not hold my breath.

From her backpack she fished out a set of clothes and tossed them into my hands. I unraveled the crumpled mess and it turned out to be a little black dress and a beige-coloured cropped jacket.

I didn't understand what was going on. "Uh… What's this?"

Mina heaved a sigh of annoyance. "Don't you have _any_ imagination, Ai? You can't just wear some boring T-shirt and jeans to a date."

"Um, this isn't a date, strictly speaking, but –"

"Ai!" she snapped, "Pretend or not, a date is a date. Don't you want Makoto to notice you more? You wouldn't get a better chance than this to really make an impression in Makoto's mind. I'm lending these to you so you can wear them. You'll be a total knockout! He wouldn't be able to resist you!"

"Wh-What? !" This was Mina's idea of helping me out? "I… I understand that you simply want to raise his affection for me, but… isn't this like a direct seduction?"

"Of course. That's the whole idea!"

Her confident, truthful reply whacked me in the head like a sledgehammer.

"Mina! You know I can't do this!" I said, "He'll think I'm one of those loose girls who hang out in the streets late at night… I don't want to take any unnecessary risks."

She placed her hands on her hips. "Life _is_ all about risks, Ai," she said, frowning, "and if you don't take any, your life will be safe… but pretty boring." Actually, she was right. If I didn't take any chances, nothing would happen. "And that's why I _always_ take risks," she continued. "I'm always among the first ones to volunteer for some event, or stand up for someone in trouble… things like that. See what I mean?"

"The things you often get yourself involved in lead you into trouble more often than not, Mina…"

She frowned as she recalled some of the mishaps in our lives for which she was a major component. "Ai, don't tell me you're still mad at me for baking those banana-raisin-tomato ketchup cookies… That was over a year ago… I mean, the bad taste it left in everyone's mouths would have disappeared by now…"

"Um, I'm not mad, Mina. Let bygones be bygones." I rubbed the back of my neck. "But I'll admit you have a point about risk-taking. So just this once, I'll follow your advice. I'll wear your dress for the date."

"Splendid!" she grinned, as though that was the answer she was waiting for. "Now hurry up and change or you'll be late. Come, let me help you."

"I think not," I grunted, shooing her out the door and slamming it shut. "And stay out of my room until I'm done!" Geez, the girl gets too comfortable with her friends sometimes…

XOXOXOXOXO

When I looked at myself in the mirror, I freaked.

But I was so confused that I didn't know if it was a happy kind of freaked or just plain old freaked. This wasn't Ai whom I saw in my own reflection. The person in question looked so much different.

A series of rapid knocks on my door brought my thoughts back to earth. "Hey, Ai, are you done yet? I wanna take a look."

And when Mina saw me, all that came out of her mouth was a string of excited squeals and unintelligible made-up words. "Fantabuloustic!" she announced with eyes sparkling like jewels, "You're a masterpiece, Ai! A living masterpiece! There's no way he wouldn't notice you now unless he's a total idiot!"

"Fantabu… what?" Was that a portmanteau of "fantastic" and "fabulous"?

The slinky black dress was short, reaching to my thighs and exposing a lot of leg. The jacket lent even more mature charm to the air of elegance the dress had already lent me. In short, I was stunning. But was this something I should wear in front of my dream guy? Would he… faint? Would he get a nosebleed?

"Oh, and before I forget," she chirped, taking a lipstick tube out of her skirt pocket, "you need this." She was giggling with the energy of an artist gone mad as she dabbed my lips a faint red.

"Um… Mina…"

"Yes, yes, you don't need to thank me, Ai," she said, stepping back to admire her own handiwork and getting caught up in shameless self-praise. "I'm so good at this. I could totally become a fashion designer. It's not my fault I'm so… so… uh, crazytastic! No, um, it should be… cleverlicious! Or… uh… any ideas, Ai?"

"Can't you say the word 'good' like everybody else?" If she had not already reached the zenith of language mangling, she had now.

"But 'good' sounds boring…" she protested. "Ah, heck, never mind about that! You look amazing! See for yourself!"

"Yeah…" I twirled round before the full-length mirror, secretly impressed with my new attire. Now I looked like a grown-up rather than a high school student. Maybe I was shorter than the average adult, but that was fine. I was still a growing teenager, after all. "You're right about that, Mina… though the dress is kinda tight."

"That's okay," she said, "The tightness emphasizes your curves, your femininity, and most importantly… these!" And she mischievously reached from behind me and groped my chest.

I gave a start. "Hoi! Knock it off!"

But she just kept fondling. "Hot darn, you're bigger than I imagined! I'm so jealous – HNGH!"

Karate chop. Over the shoulder.

I covered my chest with my arms, cringing like the world had gone crazy. "Hands off! Geez!"

"You… You hit my lovely face again!" she groaned as she caressed her nose. "Just when it was recovering! And I was just kidding and all… I didn't mean anything! …Oh, and I'm sorry."

What a horrible apology, plus you should have apologized first, Mina… She sure wasn't a class clown for nothing. "Fine, I'll let it go. Anyway, let's see how it all turns out."

"Yeah, that's the spirit!" she said encouragingly, "Use your womanly charms on him and dazzle him stupid!"

How did a pretend date turn into this complex operation with an ulterior motive? When I looked back at how far a relatively simple plan had mutated, I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. Though "awe-kward" might be a more fitting word.

"I appreciate your help, Mina," I said, brightening up, "This may turn out to be the stepping stone I needed after all."

"Glad to be of help! That's what friends are for, right?"

"There's just one minor problem."

"Huh?" Mina was puzzled.

"I think my mum will freak when she sees me like this. And not in a good way. Because as you already know, Mum's a conservative person. I'm okay with the dress but… she hates sexy fashion."

Silence.

We hadn't considered that. Mina could only utter a small "Oh… I forgot."

XOXOXOXOXO

Mina and I had managed to worm out of my strict mother's clutches, and we were now in the relative safety of Miyashita Park, where my mission as Makoto's "girlfriend" would begin.

"Whew! It's good to be alive." My hair was flapping about in the wind disobediently and I kept on having to tuck it behind my ear whenever it grew unruly again. "I didn't think I could ever get out of there without my mum stopping me."

Mina struggled to tidy up her jet black locks, whipped into a messy Einstein-like mop by the wind. "Your mum is as stern as ever, I see," she said, breathing a sigh, "Who'd have thought that dressing up would trigger such a bizarre reaction in her? She looked about ready to have a heart attack!"

"It's the dress that does it," I said, smoothing the hem down. "She always flips whenever I wear something that shows even the slightest amount of skin. Even our school uniform doesn't escape her scrutiny. She's always grumbling about how our skirts are too short…"

"My own parents have submitted one or two complaint letters to the school about this issue before… As far as I know, nothing came out of it. They're always saying stuff like, 'Teenagers nowadays!'" She struck a pose, with one hand balled in a fist on her hip and the other in a pointing finger, as if to imitate her mother. "'Seriously, what are today's youths thinking, dressing so indecently?' We can't help that it's the school rules to wear such skirts… not that I'm complaining or anything, of course. I'm like, whatever, you know?"

"Hmmm… I wonder if Mum's reasoning is justified this time round."

"What'd you mean?"

"E-Everyone's taking second glances at me…" The nearby pedestrians were pointing and taking frequent looks at me, making me fidget uncomfortably from all the attention I was getting. "I feel so uneasy…"

"No, Ai, have courage," Mina said, gripping me by the shoulders. "Calm down and be confident in yourself. The only reason people are looking at you is not because you look weird, but because you're so hot."

My arms crossed over my chest protectively, I gulped, "But haven't you noticed that at least half of those pedestrians are male, _and_ middle-aged? What's to say that they aren't perverts in disguise?"

Without thinking, she replied, "Every guy has some sort of perverted streak in them. It's fairly normal."

"Wh-Wh-What? !"

She suddenly realized her confidence-shaving mistake and tried to dismiss it as best as she could. "Gee! I… I mean, even if they're like that, as long as they don't do anything to you, it's all good, right? !"

"M-Mina, you're not making things any better for me…"

"Hey, don't worry about them too much! Because when your boyfriend comes, you'll be safe and sound in his arms… Sounds romantic, doesn't it?" Pleased that she had at last managed to say the right thing, she let out a sigh.

"Uh-huh… That's true…" I was blushing at the thought, but I had a small smile on my face at the same time. It _was_ romantic… to be able to throw myself into Makoto's arms, though I was inwardly debating on whether it was a good idea or not. Gosh, I wished I could do it though…

"I know, right?" she chuckled, staring dreamily into the distance behind me, "Sometimes I imagine myself doing that to –"

Suddenly a gust of wind billowed up her skirt. Everyone who had been looking at me immediately shifted their attention towards her. She screamed and tried to pull down the front of her skirt over to cover herself up, but then that left her butt exposed, leading to her looking quite comical having to use one hand for the front and the other for behind.

"H-Hey!" She was struggling as the wind continued to tug and pull. I was inclined to help her, but wouldn't that look downright strange? "N-Nobody look!"

All of us girls have had our skirts-flying-up-in-the-wind days. Especially if said skirt was the floppy type that came standard with typical Japanese school uniforms. I didn't have this problem today because my dress was tight, but Mina was not so fortunate.

Some guys hanging around nearby were chatting excitedly amongst themselves. "Did you see it?" said one of them. "It's white."

Said another surreptitiously, "No, I swear it's pink – my favourite colour!"

A third guy passed a hand over his forehead, "Are you blind? It's definitely beige."

Disgusted by their attitudes, I shot the trio of perverts a death glare, and Mina did the same. Only hers was ten times more frightening. They were paralysed to the spot, with the classic deer-caught-in-headlights expression on their faces.

"What are you doing? !" she yelled at them. "_Get lost!_" They ran for their lives; apparently, they figured that if they didn't leave right away, they would suffer a punishment much worse than death. And it would most likely be in the form of Mina's killer groin-crushing kick.

"Ngh… Of all the days to not wear a sweater round my waist!" she groaned, embarrassment colouring her face, "It could have covered me up a bit!"

"Y-Yeah…"

She calmed down a little to ask, "By the way, um, the meeting place with Masuoka is supposed to be in an alley around here, right?"

"That's right."

Mina coughed. "If something good happens between you and Makoto, be sure to find a suitable place, wear protection and above all, have fun!"

"Wh-What do you mean by 'something good'? !" I seethed.

"Alright, all the best for your date," she called as she walked away, still clutching at her skirt. "I gotta get back home before my relatives arrive. Good luck, girl! And tell me about it later!" I bid her goodbye, but with both hands full, she couldn't wave back, though she was able to snap angrily at some male passersby for staring too long at her, and they retreated in fear.

"Geez… 'something good'," I muttered to myself. "What's that pervert thinking…"

The time on my watch read half past nine. Makoto had said to meet up in Miyashita Park at 10 am, but as I was already at the meeting place, all I had to do was wait for the right time. He had told me to wait here, then when we met up, he'd take me to there. I sat back on one of the benches to try and relax, but regardless I began to grow paranoid over whether I was dressed too indecently for his taste.

Wait, I just thought of something… If all guys are perverts to some degree, then that included Makoto as well… But though he had his faults and wasn't by all means perfect, he still had a lot of good points, and I loved him for that. He wasn't very perverted anyway; compared to some guys whom I've seen and met, he was relatively nice and normal… although the time when he caught me in only a bra and panties back in that Lacy Temptations lingerie store was something I'd rather not experience again.

Actually, by that rationale, all of us girls have a perverted side too. It's only fair. There's no such concept as 'girls are heaven and guys are hell'; that kind of gender bias is just ridiculous. It's just that we rarely show this side in front of people and we're not as extreme in the first place. We don't go around picking up guys at random, or chase them into an alley and start feeling them up… And we don't snap photos of men's underwear beneath their… skirts? Ack! Look, the less we think about this one the better.

At the end of the day, before I run the risk of offending anyone, I have to say that men and women are equally interested in the opposite sex… but most of us guys and gals just don't go overboard.

That said, I wondered how "relatively nice and normal" Makoto would react to my new outfit. The curiosity was overwhelming. I hoped he would like it, but I would be incredibly mad if he started touching my butt "by accident".

As I was waiting, I happened to glance to my right, and what do you know… Makoto had arrived. But he had a confused frown on his face. I trotted over as nimbly as I could on my high heels to greet him.

Hesitant, he drawled, "Excuse me… is that you? Ai?"

I didn't understand at first why he appeared so puzzled. Then it occurred to me that my clothes had made me look so different that he almost couldn't recognize me.

"It's me alright, Makoto," I said, feeling slightly embarrassed by the way he was staring at me; so silly but adorable, yet piercing and intense. But I soon began to feel insecure about myself.

Clutching my jacket sleeve nervously, I asked in a small voice, "D-Do I look weird? I thought to dress up a bit for the occasion, so… uh…"

As though he finally saw the light, his eyes lit up in recognition and a flurry of excited words poured forth. "Oh man, it _is_ you, Ai! So glad you could make it. And for a while I thought you were someone else!" W-Was that supposed to be a compliment?

"Um, wh-what do you think, Makoto? I'm not overdoing it, am I?"

"N-No! Not at all! In fact, I think you look – "

I heard the sharp noise of his hand slapping against his face.

"E-Excuse me, Ai… Just need to… uh, wipe my nose…" Something was dripping from his concealed nose and it looked suspiciously like… oh boy.

"_Another_ nosebleed, Makoto?" I sighed. Just how aroused was he from seeing my new outfit? Should I be scared?

"Forgive me, Ai!" he muttered through blood-soaked fingers, "I'm just a normal guy!" He was struggling to grab his handkerchief, which unfortunately was in the pocket on the other side of his coat. Seeing him fumble was a little exasperating. I took the initiative and gingerly pulled his hand out.

"…You're going to need some help." I dipped my hand swiftly into his pocket, and he stiffened. I didn't need to search around too much before I found his handkerchief which I then handed to him. This was incredibly weird…

"Th-Thanks…" He wiped his nose and hands down as best as he could, gazing at me the whole time.

"Makoto? Don't stare at me like that… I'm feeling shy and you're making me blush…"

"I-I'm not staring!" he denied, cheeks reddening.

We stood there feeling very awkward, but I felt a strange sense of happiness in me… Maybe it was because he had indirectly complimented me – though can a nosebleed be a compliment in the first place?

He put away his now thoroughly bloodied handkerchief. It started out a nice ocean blue, but now it had transformed into an angry maroon colour.

"Okay, Ai, you ready?"

"Yup. Seriously, how long does it take you to finish bleeding?"

He laughed it off. "Come on, we've got a maniac to turn down. And… be ready for anything."

"I will."

And so, he led me towards the meeting place, which was some alley located at the floor below. We had to take a flight of stairs which led to the streets below, and from there we went down a winding path that eventually led to the alley in question. For an alley it was wide and brightly lit, with a tall concrete wall on either side. It was surprisingly clean, but the walls themselves were a different story, emblazoned with graffiti of a multitude of colours. The alley wasn't especially seedy but it was hardly the kind of place anyone except thugs would want to hang around with.

"Don't worry, Ai," said Makoto. "This alley may be creepy and deserted, but I'll make sure you come to no harm."

"Actually, I should be saying that to you," I deadpanned. "Given the circumstances, you're in greater danger than I am. I mean, I'm not the one being chased by a guy of all people…"

He shuddered and gulped hard. I didn't think he liked what I just said…

"Uh… s-sorry I said anything, Makoto! Well, uh… heh!" Gotta change the subject… "Say, Makoto, why'd you choose this place anyway? Why couldn't you have chosen a less foreboding spot like the Park above us?" I looked around uneasily for any signs of life.

"I didn't choose it. Masuoka did. And I couldn't change his mind."

"Something tells me that he chose it for a reason… You might wanna be on your guard." He had better be if he valued his sanity. After all, Masuoka sounded like an aggressive "don't-stop-till-he-gets-what-he-wants" kind of person…

"No worries, I'm –"

"HON…! ! !"

Out of nowhere came this sudden yell. I jumped and so did he, but I noticed that he reached much higher than I did. Any higher and he would have just scaled the wall. Was it that much of a shock for him? But who was that who shouted just now? That was one incredibly high-pitched voice. I swore that just about broke some windows.

Then, before I regained my bearings on the situation, someone flew straight at Makoto like a rocket, with great speed and just as much force. One moment Makoto was standing in front of me, the next he had vanished. In the blink of an eye, he had been tackled and knocked to the ground about an impressive distance of fifteen feet away. All of it happened so quickly that I couldn't catch the facial features of this person.

"Makoto!" I called, running over, "Are you alri –"

"Oh hon, I missed you so much!"

Makoto was sprawled on the ground, desperately trying to pry a man off of himself and shouting profanities as he did so. I froze when I recognized him. It was that infernal shopkeeper! HT Masuoka, the stalker from hell!

"I got so sick and tired of waiting for you, hon," said Masuoka, "so I thought I'd come a little earlier than the agreed time!"

"Let go of me!" screamed a terribly shaken Makoto, doing his best to wrestle him away. Obstinate as a donkey, Masuoka had a strong vice-like grip and every attempt to forcibly extricate him ended in failure. "Ai! Wh-What're you waiting for? ! Help me!"

"Uh… right!" Wait, help him how? ! I wasn't prepared for this. By now I had a good, if slightly fuzzy, idea about couples and how they behaved, but I never actually had any experience dealing with lunatics. But everything I did and said now was crucial because if I failed to convince the crazy man, Makoto would be doomed to have a man lapping at my feet forever.

No, that wasn't going to happen. Not on my watch!

"Hey!" I yelled, trying to get Masuoka's attention, "Get your grubby mitts off of my… my… (gulp) _boyfriend!_" The last word took an especially great amount of courage to say. I wound up with a ridiculously red face but I was glad that I pulled it off quite well. Okay, so I wasn't destined for the Oscars, but it was a respectable enough job.

Without releasing his grip, HT Masuoka whipped his head round to look back at me for a few seconds… before hugging Makoto tighter and cooing, "Oh hon, nothing can say how glad I am to see you! You're as handsome as the first day we met."

"Gah!" his victim screamed. "Stop it!"

Wait a minute… Did… Did that man just ignore me? !

Now angry for real, I smacked him in the head. "Hey you! Stop this foolishness at once and listen to me!"

Finally I got a response from him. He scrambled to his feet, rubbing his head and glowering at me. Uh-oh… Now he looked irritated! Even though he was only slightly taller than me, he appeared five times my size as he towered over me with a dark cloudy frown. His mane of wild black hair seemed to bristle.

"Yes? !" he growled in his high-pitched voice (growled?). "What's your problem? !"

I gulped, my voice failing to respond, except for a small "Eek!" that I barely managed to swallow back.

Regardless, I had to stay strong for Makoto's sake… I hadn't lost the fight yet. I wouldn't lose my precious friend to a man of all people! Although I was right to say that such a fight was ridiculous to begin with…

I had to make up my lies as I went along. Putting on a brave front, I sternly said, "You heard me, pal. Stop whatever nonsense you're up to, 'cause Makoto is my boyfriend and I'll be darned if I'm going to let you have your way. He told me that you've been harassing him left and right, and that he's been receiving weird things from you everyday. And since you clearly have no intention of giving up, I specifically came today to sort this matter out!"

Makoto got back up on his feet and I noticed a glimmer of hope in his eyes, as if to say, "Yeah, attagirl, Ai!" I seemed to be doing well.

"Oh yeah, hon? !" Masuoka snarled menacingly. "I'll admit that I've been sending him lots of stuff recently, but have you any idea how much time and effort I put into making those gifts? Someone like you can never understand. I had to painstakingly make sure the paper for my love poems was the right amount of pink, take an entire day off from work to make those pressed flowers, and hire a professional photographer to take care of my photos!"

You know, there's a fine line between admiration and fanaticism, and this man had gladly crossed it without a second thought. Why, he even created a new line between fanaticism and total insanity, and he had crossed that too. The very thought of it made my mind reel.

"You've gone too far," I snapped. "Have you no shame? !"

"My love for him is pure!" he countered, "You, on the other hand, can never provide him with the sweet affection that I pour onto him with great excess!"

With such an annoying attitude towards life in general, did this strange man have any friends? At all? More than anything I just wanted to whack him upside the head with a well-placed karate chop, but that wasn't the way a mature girlfriend would act.

"Whatever," I said, holding Makoto's arm protectively, "This conversation is over. Don't ever bother me and him again!"

Regaining his confidence, Makoto added, "Masuoka, she's been my girlfriend for ages now and there's no one more important to me than her!"

Taken aback, Masuoka hissed, "Wh-What? !"

"She's the only one for me! You can't even compare. So if it's not clear enough to you already, then let me tell you this: back off."

Masuoka seemed to be at a loss for words. _Good_, I thought, _that should keep him at bay from now on!_

I was wrong.

With a sly smirk, he said to me, "You claim to be Makoto's girlfriend, but is that the truth?"

Eh? How did he find out? !

For a second I panicked and the gears in my brain ground to a halt, but I recovered just in time. No… just a lucky guess. It had to be.

"Hello? That's so obvious." Feeling brave, I clutched onto Makoto's arm tighter. Under my fingers his arm was taut and bulky. Oh! He… He worked out… Nice… No wait, this wasn't the time for that!

To my surprise and intense discomfort, Masuoka started giggling. It didn't make things any better that his voice was naturally high-pitched and he sounded like his throat was choked on helium. And that it sounded evil too… an evil human chipmunk… The stuff of nightmares…

"Well!" he snorted. "If you're really Makoto's girlfriend, then prove it."

Makoto was at a loss for words. "What… What are you saying? !"

"Oh come now, hon. It's so easy for a guy and girl to pretend they're a couple and claim that they are so, even when they're actually not. How do I know you're not bluffing?"

Makoto and I froze like ice. For a maniac, this guy was sharper than we thought. Just goes to show we should never underestimate our enemies…

We watched him chortling like a prissy lady; he even shielded his mouth with the back of his hand… how much more girlish could he get? "Hesitating, hon? Ohohoho… Now why is that? Maybe because you're, you know, lying."

Rrgh… such a pain in the…! Somewhere in my body I felt a blood vessel burst. I lost control of myself and snapped at him.

"Watch it! You have some nerve making false accusations about us. You want the proof that you love so much? Then we'll gladly give it to you!"

Makoto nudged my arm urgently and hissed in my ear, "What're you doing? ! How are we going to prove something like that? ! We'll be found out for sure!"

But I just turned to him, clutching his hand in both of mine, an action that surprised him as much as it set my heart aflutter. "It'll be okay, Makoto," I whispered to him. "I've got this one."

"Huh? What's this… Ow!"

"Just stay quiet and let me handle this."

Meanwhile, HT Masuoka was shaking his head, looking very amused. "You know, hon, holding hands isn't going to cut it. Anyone can do that. So if you're not going to be serious about it then I will – "

I took two steps towards him and placed my hands on my hips to make myself look more imposing. "Now see here! I don't like dragging things out as much as you do so I'm going to end this nice and quick."

"Oh really? Hon!" he laughed, albeit with a little quiver in his voice. "Let's see you try!"

Out of the corner of my eye I could see Makoto praying, but I was chuckling inwardly because this matter was as good as in the bag already. And this matter would be settled in the best and most hassle-free way ever!

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Masuoka," I said, "but to tell you the truth, Makoto and I…

"…are engaged. To be married!"

I heard Makoto gasp from behind me, having not expected to hear that. Masuoka's eyebrow seem to rise just the tiniest bit from surprise, but otherwise he remained annoyingly unmoved. He raked a hand through his silky long locks and shook his head. "Hon, I'm not stupid. Talk is cheap! Anyone can say that too, you know! Even I could say I'm engaged to The Prince. There, I just said it!"

It was all I could do to stop myself from retching. "A man like you has fantasies about The Prince? ! Uh… anyway! Yeah, I'll admit you're right. It's something anyone could say."

I could almost feel Makoto's life energy waning in defeat.

"But," I continued, "would you doubt _this?_"

With a slow casual motion I lifted my right hand, palm towards me. At first Masuoka didn't seem to understand. But when he took a closer, harder look at my hand, his eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

"No… No way," he muttered, incredulous. "Is… Is that an… an…"

"I see that even you can understand that much at least. Oh yes… It's so nice to have an engagement ring."

Ha! This was the power of a good contingency plan! To make our act even more convincing, I had put on a ring before even coming here to our meeting place, to prepare myself for the event that Masuoka might get too pushy. And considering that this would already be a given, it was a darned good thing I put it on!

"Makoto…" I turned to him with a smile and a wink that I kept hidden from Masuoka. "…thank you so much for this ring, darling. You're so sweet."

But he was slow on the uptake. "Huh?"

I winked harder and spoke a little more forcefully to get my message across, "I'm so HAPPY that you gave me this RING as a token of our ENGAGEMENT. You GAVE it to me, YES? Thank you so much! (Now say 'You're welcome'! Dummy!)"

At long last he got my drift. "Oh! Um, yeah, ahaha! You're welcome! Honey!"

Ugh! Seriously, for a cool guy Makoto could be an idiot at times. But at least it still worked. Masuoka was trembling and had gone so pale he looked like he had died three years ago.

He hadn't given up yet, though he was already on his last leg. "But… But… I'm not convinced… Somehow, I just can't… Something's missing…"

"Is it this?" I yanked Makoto's right hand up into the air. On his ring finger, just like me, was a ring similar to mine.

In surprise he uttered something – "A ring? How did it… Ow!" – but I cut him off by squeezing his wrist till it hurt.

At this point, Masuoka looked really close to running around in circles screaming. "R-Rings for both of you? ! Th-They're matching too, hon! Then… Then that means…!"

I couldn't suppress a quiet snigger. "Well, if matching rings aren't an indication of our unending love for each other – Makoto and I – then perhaps this next bit of information is. I'm sorry, Makoto… I'm going to have to reveal our biggest secret here, but it's only so that we can ensure a peaceful life together." I gave him another wink to signal the unveiling of the next trick up my sleeve.

He got the message – "Uh… oh yeah… Go ahead, Ai… shoot." – although he was naturally apprehensive. _What's Ai trying to pull this time?_ he must have been wondering.

To be honest, what I was going to say next wasn't the smoothest exit out of this tough situation, and I was feeling extremely squeamish about it too, but now that the odds have shifted in my favour there was no turning back! I had to end this quickly and completely. So I gritted my teeth, swallowed a mouthful of spit, took a _deeeeeep_ breath…

…and I said it.

"Well, actually, Masuoka, I'm… Makoto and I… We…"

The suspense was killing him. "You… You what? ! What is it, hon? !"

"…I'm _pregnant_ with Makoto's child! ! !"

Makoto was the first one to voice his thoughts. "WHAT? !"

Masuoka, on the other hand, couldn't say anything because his jaw had detached itself from his head and clattered to the ground. That he was shocked beyond comprehension was obvious enough though. He did manage to utter something, "Wha… What… You two… You… You're…? !"

"My heart and body belong to Makoto," I cried out, growing red from extreme embarrassment – god what was I spouting? ! – "and he belongs to me too! This farce has gone on long enough. He's not interested in you and I don't want to see your face ever again. The two of us are going to be parents soon enough and the last thing we want is someone hounding him day and night." My face hardened with sternness. "So goodbye, we never met, don't ever bother us, we have baby clothes to buy. Vanish! Forever!"

With that I turned on my heel (nearly losing balance as I did so because I was wearing high heels) and grabbed a still-dazed Makoto by the arm, escorting him out of the alley at a brisk pace. When I took a quick peek over my shoulder, I saw that Masuoka had withered into a fetal position, weeping his heart out and blubbering something about broken dreams. Maybe I really went overboard… But I didn't really care and once we rounded the corner out of the alley and we were finally home free, that was all that mattered.

My face was still incredibly red from earlier and it would take a long while for it to cool down. I wiped a hand over my sweaty forehead. "Whew! Well, that's done. Hopefully that should put an end to your stalker's nonsense. Right, Makoto? …Um, Makoto?"

He was still in a hopelessly giddy state, shuffling alongside me like a rotting zombie and mumbling to himself. "My… My own child…? I can't believe it… I'm going to be a father…? Me? My own child with Ai… Ahaha…"

"Whuh? !"

Apparently the poor guy actually believed every word I had said! Either that or he had forgotten to get out of acting mode.

"Is this a dream…" he said to himself with a glazed look in his eyes, "…or is it a nightmare?"

"Calm down! Idiot!"

Only when I slapped him on the arm did he return to the world of the living with a yelp of pain. That seemed to return him to his senses. Thank goodness.

"What… What happened…" He shook his head to clear it. "Am I alive? Am I safe?"

"I've taken care of HT Masuoka," I replied. "Relax. I don't think he'll want to see you again any time soon, if at all. Not after I lied to him that we're engaged and that I'm… uh… you know."

He breathed a sigh of relief, an action that amused me somewhat. "You really scared the pants off of me back there. You're a pretty good actress, Ai! But I'm curious…" He held up his right hand. "What's with the rings? Where'd you get them, and… well, I'm confused about everything."

"Oh, as for that, there's a little story behind it…"

XOXOXOXOXO

The idea with the rings was not mine. Mina came up with it, not surprising at all because she had a knack for coming up with weird and wonderful plans – whether they worked or not was another matter.

When she came to visit me this morning, my dress wasn't the only thing she brought along. She dug into her backpack and fished out a very small container, so small it could be held in the palm of her hand. She opened it up and shoved it into my face, saying, "Oh yeah, you'll need these!"

"Rings?" I gave her a quizzical look. "For what?"

"Your act needs to be as convincing as it can get! There's a pair of them here, right? And they're matching. So if you wear one and Makoto does the same, it'll really reinforce the notion that you're together. It's perfect!"

However, I didn't exactly share her enthusiasm. "I get what you mean, Mina, but who's gonna look into something insignificant like that? No one goes around checking people's fingers to see if they're married and stuff."

She directed an exasperated glare at me. "Don't knock it till you try it! You never know till you try. What's more, it's just a tiny ring! It wouldn't kill you to wear it. And get him to wear the other one too! Or it'll have half the impact."

"Half an impact should be better than nothing…"

"Not in this case!" she retorted. "You know how pushy HT Masuoka is! He wouldn't give up till he's sure he has no chance! Oh, another thing…"

"What?" I wasn't looking forward to hearing whatever harebrained scheme she had next.

"If Masuoka still wouldn't let go, then you're free to deliver the coup de grace."

"What do you mean by that?"

With a nonchalant yet cheery air about her, she simply said, "Oh, just lie to him that Makoto got you pregnant."

I almost fainted.

"WHAT? !"

She sighed, unimpressed with my reaction. "What do you mean, 'what'? You tell him that and he'll leave Makoto alone for good. It's the ultimate defense against stalkers, male and female alike! Tried and tested over the years! Still works like a charm! Ai, you'd be an idiot _not_ to try it."

My hands were trembling. "B-But what would Makoto think about that? !"

"He's a decent guy. He wouldn't get strange thoughts just from hearing something so ridiculous. And he's smart enough to know it's a lie from the start. So don't worry!"

"I don't know… I mean, there's only one way a girl can get pregnant, and if I say Makoto got me pregnant, then it would mean that we… that we…"

The implications of that were so indecent and so much for me to bear that blood trickled down my nose.

Mina jammed tissues into my nostrils. "Don't get your dress all bloody now! Besides, didn't I just say it was all just a lie? ! You're not really pregnant, idiot! Makoto's not so terrible that he would do _that_ with you right now, and – "

A terribly gross and inappropriate image flitted into my mind. I wouldn't go into details but here in my head, Makoto was saying in a soothing voice, "I love you so much, Ai… Tonight I'm going to…"

To make things even worse, I was talking in this daydream too. "Ah… No… Please be gentle… If you're so rough…"

Another nosebleed.

"Oh darn it," she sighed, watching me bleed profusely. "I'd better stop talking. Your overactive imagination's going to be the death of you."

XOXOXOXOXO

"Oh, so that's how it is," said Makoto. "Well, that's a very clever plan the two of you cooked up. You must have slipped the ring onto my finger when you were holding my hand earlier, huh? No wonder it hurt a bit." I nodded to affirm this. Then he added, "Though the part about you being pregnant scared me half to death."

With a nervous laugh, I readily agreed with him. "You have no idea how much it gave me the heebie-jeebies just saying it out loud."

"But thank you, Ai. You've helped me plenty. I'm so lucky to have you as a friend… you're a true godsend!" His grateful smile as he laid his warm hand on and around my shoulder was so dazzling I could melt into goo.

"Y-You're, um, welcome. I mean, that's what friends are for, right?"

Why was he staring at me like that? He seemed to be tilting his head this way and that, as though to get a better view of whatever was on my face. No, actually, his eyes were travelling… elevator eyes moving up and down on my very person. I had half a mind to cover myself with my arms.

"M-Makoto!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He promptly looked away in embarrassment, scratching the back of his neck like he often did. A few seconds of thought followed, after which he said, "But I couldn't resist admiring your dress. You look very pretty in it."

"You… You really mean it?" There was nothing I could do to fight down the redness on my face.

"Yeah."

I swiveled my head away, but he only chuckled, "Ai, you can try to hide your face all you want but I can see you blushing."

"I-I'm not… Eep!"

I found myself being pressed gently into his frame as he pulled me closer in a sign of affection. "It's okay to feel good after someone compliments you. Even if it makes your head go up in smoke, like now."

"Mnngh… Dummy."

He just laughed it off. "Well, let me at least make it up to you. I'll treat you to lunch! I know this nice sushi bar just a few blocks away."

I gulped and politely pushed his generous offer back, although to be honest, if this was another moment for the two of us to share together in peace, I was all for it! I just didn't want to appear too eager, that was all. "Y-You don't need to do that for such a simple little thing… I didn't do much, really."

"But I insist. Come on! One good turn deserves another. And no one has ever successfully refused the temptations of fresh salmon sushi. Well? What about it!"

God… salmon sushi. With Makoto dining with me it'd be twice as tasty. I was drooling.

"Okay… I accept. Th-Thanks!"

"Ha ha! That's the spirit! But, Ai… Just for the record…"

"Yes?"

His voice dropped to a whisper. "Y-You're not really pregnant, are you?"

My face grew a nice shade of red as I spluttered vehemently, "O-Of course not, you idiot!"

And so we walked on over to the sushi bar in question. The whole time we were walking, his hand never left my shoulder, and the sensation was, to quote Mina, "incredublastic". It was awesome. Really, I was lucky the restaurant was only a short distance away. My legs had turned to mush by the time we had reached its entrance.

Makoto could be such a stud.

XOXOXOXOXO

Oh, it was a delightfully good time, spending lunch with Makoto. The ambience of the restaurant, his warm and comforting presence, the luscious taste of fresh hand-made sushi rolling around in my mouth… everything was just perfect.

I knew Mina would be waiting for me for details. So once I was back home and as soon as I had the chance, I gave her a call. She was ecstatic upon hearing everything I had to say.

"And, Mina, thanks so much for helping out," I said. "If it weren't for you, I didn't know how I'd have handled it."

At the other end of the line she had a hint of smugness in her voice, a cheeky kind of smugness. "Heh… You thought my plan wouldn't work, but it turned out to be a wonder, right? Told you so!"

"I'm humbled," I chuckled. "Really, it worked beautifully. Makoto's a free man now. _And_ he said I looked cute!"

"Well, you know what that means."

"It's a step forward for the both of us, right?"

"Yes… but not just that. You see…" She coughed. "Well, have you heard the tale of the hare and the tortoise?"

"Wh-What's that got to do with anything?"

"The tortoise was having trouble getting to the end, so the hare helped him out, and they crossed the finish line together. They were branded as winners and became friends forever. Touched by the hare's kind gesture, the tortoise from then on did whatever the hare asked."

"I… I don't think that's how the tale goes, Mina…"

"So I'm saying that if you're the tortoise and I'm the hare…"

Then she just left it at that, for me to interpret. But what was there to make of her convoluted parable? …Unless, if it's her we're talking about, she meant…

"Oh boy, Mina… you're a real glutton."

"Glad you catch on fast!" she laughed. "So when am I getting my week's supply of ramen as a reward?"

"I thought that's for if your nose had a bruise or something!"

"Oh, my nose is fine," she said with a tiny little bit of bitterness, "but you left a big bruise on my soul. You'd hit a good friend of yours after all! So that works all the same."

"Y-You make no sense."

"Come on, have a little compassion," she countered. "My allowance is all out this week, and if I can't get anything to eat…"

I sighed and relented. "Okay, fine… twist my arm. You did help me out, after all. But my own allowance is kinda on the short side too, so I can only afford the cheapest ramen there is, okay?"

"Shio ramen is fine with me!" She was so happy… but my pocket money was doomed. "Oh, Ai, you're the best! I could hug you if we weren't talking on the phone!"

It's good to have such great friends.


	7. 7: Eiji Oji, Playboy Extraordinaire

**Moon and Sun (Part 7)  
><strong>by BrDPirateMan

"So how are you coping with your latest company project, Makoto?"

Makoto laughed. "Being on this project, there's almost never a time when I don't have something on my hands that needs 'urgent attention', or has 'deadline is tomorrow' written on it, or reeks of 'Get this done now or you're toast!'"

"Ha ha! Well, you got your hands full, that's for sure," I said. "Sounds a lot like school. It's business as usual for me with homework and ECAs (extra-curricular activities): heavy and unrelenting. You should know how that's like, of course!"

Makoto and I were walking along the streets having a nice chat on a cool breezy afternoon. We had just finished up with our current tasks: him with work and me with cheerleading practice, and we were heading back to our homes. We stayed along the same street, although we were a few blocks away from each other, so there was many a time when we would walk home together.

It's moments such as strolling down a street together talking about stuff, that I appreciate, despite their uncomplicated nature. Because in a city where complexity was the norm, sometimes all we crave are the simple things to remind us that life doesn't need to be so convoluted to be enjoyable.

Talking so freely to Makoto like this… right now, I couldn't ask for anything better.

And yet, something would come along to ruin the romantic atmosphere. Okay, well, it was romantic to _me_ at least. Makoto still had no idea of my feelings.

"Sounds like you need a break," said Makoto. Then his eyes lit up. "Hey, speaking of ECAs, how about I pay you a visit while you're having cheerleading practice?"

Oh! He wanted to watch the cheerleader squad perform?

"You… You really want to?" My eyebrows were raised in surprise. "Well, you can come if you like, but I might find your presence a bit distracting –" Oops! Not the best thing to say! "–No! No, Makoto, wh-what I really mean to say is… well… it's nice that you want to come support me, but isn't that strange?"

His grin grew to an epic width. "What is? The fact that if I come along, it would mean that a cheerleader like you is being cheered on?"

"W-Well, don't you think it's weird? And… And you might get tired watching us cheerleaders jumping about anyway."

"Oh, I'm not going to watch the cheerleaders," he drawled naughtily, "I'll be watching you."

"M-M-Me? !" I was growing red-faced again. He would be there only for me? !

"Do you mind, Ai?" he chuckled. "If you really mind –"

I gulped, meek and slightly timid from his forthrightness. "Um, I guess I don't mind?"

"I'll pop by one of these days then. Look forward to it."

Truly appreciative for his support, I beamed at him. "Okay! Thanks!"

And that's when it happened.

Makoto and I passed by a row of shops of different kinds: bookstores, boutiques, noodle bars but to name a few. We perceived a lot of excited giggles and noises coming from one of them, a music store to be exact. As to why it was so noisy, the reason was painfully obvious when we took a glimpse inside.

There, standing tall and proud in the middle of the store, was one of Shibuya's rising J-Pop stars. He was all smiles while conversing with a group of squealing teenage girls and signing their autograph books. He was famous for his good looks, which garnered him an ever-growing legion of fans – not surprisingly most of them were female. As for his voice, I'd heard him sing before in his music videos on TV and let's just say this: I never really liked his strange warbling style of meshing lyrics together, but everyone else was head-over-heels in love with him for it. Maybe it's just me.

Well, I guess for most people, if the song was catchy and the singer was hot, who cares if the lyrics made no sense?

The man we were looking at was Eiji Oji, better known by his moniker, The Prince.

Eiji had only been on the entertainment scene for a scant few months, but his popularity had risen to the point where there was a fair chance that whenever he went out, he would get swamped on all sides by screaming fangirls. It must be a challenge to get mobbed every time he went out to buy something, but he seemed to like the attention…

He kept a blog, "F Everything", where the F stood not for what you might think, but for "Fabulous", a word he often used to describe whatever he thought was cool. It's really popular and up till now, it generates hundreds if not thousands of hits per day. I checked it out once but didn't see the charm. The thing is, I wasn't fixated on him like many other girls were, for two very good reasons: the first being that there was no guy I was interested in except Makoto, and the second being –

"Hey, Mick!"

Eiji had spotted us and the moment he saw Makoto, he had called out to him. Why Mick? I would get to that in a moment.

With a dashing smile and a few parting words sprinkled with stardust and his trademark irresistible charm, he rushed over in our direction, leaving his fans squealing and jumping excitedly like fleas on an overdose of coffee.

"If it isn't good ol' Mick!" he called cheerily, coming out of the shop and joining us. He clapped Makoto on the back, brotherly affection brimming from his entire person. "Mick" was Eiji's nickname for Makoto, and it was a play on his surname, which is Miki.

Makoto was all smiles as they shared a friendly knuckle bump. "How's things?"

"I've been on an inspirational streak these few days! Every day for the past three days I've had a new song pop into my head, maybe two. I can't write down the lyrics fast enough! Man, I love life."

"Ha ha! Good to know, Eiji. You've always had a knack for songwriting."

Makoto and Eiji have been best buddies up until now. It's been that way ever since high school. After graduation, they walked down distinctly different paths, Makoto for business and Eiji for a risky shot at stardom. But even when their careers had separated them wide and far, they still kept in touch, occasionally getting together for a merry round of beer and food at some sushi bar.

"You're damn straight about that, Mick!" Then Eiji saw me and his face brightened up. "Oh! Look who's here!"

I gave a nervous laugh, almost sure of what he wanted to do next. "Ahaha… Hi, Eiji. P-Please don't hug m–"

Quick as lightning, he enveloped me in a strong embrace. It wasn't such a tight squeeze that I would suffocate, but boy did I hate it when he did that, especially when it was in public! Out of the corner of my eye I could see people staring in bewilderment at this obscene display of affection.

"I see you've become even more beautiful since we last met," he said, enjoying himself, "and that was only a couple of months ago! I hereby F your very existence. F for Fabulous!"

Aargh, what a pain! I struggled out of his arms, pushing his face far away from me.

"Will you let go of me? !" I snapped, irritated and blushing purely from embarrassment, "Even if you're a pop star, how can you do what you like? ! And there are so many people around too!" Meanwhile, Makoto just watched the whole spectacle, more than a little amused.

"Is this how you treat a friend whom you haven't seen for so long?" asked Eiji jokingly.

"Two months isn't a long time at all!"

"It is for me!" he smirked, "It's so lonely being a star." He placed a hand over his heart, speaking in a dramatic tone. "But seeing your lovely face again has filled me with momentary warmth and happiness. So I'm really grateful to see you again…!" Then he tried to hug me a second time but was stopped short by a karate chop to the forehead.

"Whoa, keep your distance, Eiji! Geez!" I said, my hand planted in his face. Makoto could do nothing but chuckle at the hilarity. But I failed to see the funny side of it.

And there you have it. The second reason: ever since high school, Eiji has been a relentless playboy and something of a pervert. He was the most handsome guy in Seiko High and everywhere he went he left swooning girls in his wake. But what I didn't like about him was his tendency to get too touchy-feely with all of his secret admirers.

How many times had I seen him stroking their cheek seductively, or feeling the texture of their hair, all the while whispering romantic stuff to them? All of this he did in jest, as a sort of affectionate way of treating the members of his extensive fan-base, but even if he was joking, I felt that his Don Juan ways were a bit too much…

The really crazy thing was, all the girls he played with in this way didn't mind. In fact, they probably liked it…

That reminds me of an incident that stands out like a sheet of flame to this very day. I remember it so well because of its utter ridiculousness.

XOXOXOXOXO

It was an ordinary Tuesday at school and I was walking down the corridor. I happened to glance to my right, where there was a staircase, and a girl who was about to walk down the steps slipped and lost balance. Panic overcame me. I thought she would tumble down and break her neck, but luckily, she was able to catch the handrail in time. She twisted her ankle quite badly in the process, though.

As she sat on the steps tending to her hurt foot, Eiji, ever the chivalrous type (or was it chauvinistic?) had seen the whole thing unfold before his eyes and was kneeling before her in two seconds flat, asking her if she was alright. The girl, blushing from the rare chance of being able to speak with the one and only Eiji Oji, explained that she had trouble getting back on her feet.

At this, Eiji said, "No, no, this can't do at all! To have a lovely angel fall down to earth on battered wings is so saddening for my soul. I must do what it takes to restore your beauty and see that you can take to the skies again…" Wh-Why did he have to be so poetic at a time like this? !

Much to her visible surprise, he scooped her up in his arms and headed in the general direction of the nurse's office. "You're going to be alright, sweetie," he cooed, smiling broadly. "You _do_ want to fly again, don't you?"

The girl was hopelessly taken by Eiji charms. "Uh… Oh, yes, yes!"

I looked around, and all the girls were whispering to themselves about how _lucky_ she was to be carted off in the arms of everyone's Prince Charming. They must have totally forgotten that she had a mangled ankle.

There's more to the story, though…

Suddenly, another girl fell to her knees, wailing, "Ouch! My… My ankle hurts!" Oh come on, gal, that act was so bad that a monkey doing the same thing would be more convincing. She was pretending to be injured so she could experience the heart-pounding pleasure of being swept away by Eiji.

Following that, _all_ of the girls in the immediate vicinity dropped to the ground, clutching at their feet and groaning in pain… uh, I mean "pain". What the heck?

"Help me, Eiji!" cried one girl.

"No, please… Me first," pleaded a second one. "I'm paralysed from the waist down!"

"I've got cramps!" cried a third, "And I've got a fever and cold and everything!"

In the face of such foolishness, I could very well have fainted myself.

"Oh, wow," said Eiji, unfazed from the scene, "It looks like this campus has become… how should I put it?" He paused for thought, searching in his mind for the right description. "Ah! I've got it! This campus has become… the meadows of love onto which pure-hearted but tragically unfortunate angels have fallen into… Oh, your pain has struck a chord in me!"

Gimme a break! That idiot was enjoying every moment of this… And his poetry was terrible…

He suddenly noticed me, the sole girl standing among the fallen, and with a smirk, he called, "Hey, Ai, are you feeling unwell too? Want me to escort you to your salvation?"

"Ha ha… No." What I really wanted to say was "Go to hell", but with so many fangirls around, saying that was like asking for a death wish. To them, Eiji was handsome, articulate, romantic, and blah blah blah. Whatever. They loved him and anyone who was foolish enough to taint his name should be burnt to a crisp. Like a burnt-beyond-charcoal crisp.

Ugh… I'd rather crawl to the nurse's office than let that fool carry me over…

XOXOXOXOXO

You know, I really hate to digress, but I just did anyway. So, uh, sorry. Let us get back to where we left off.

Eiji rubbed his head where I had whacked him. "Ow… A fair maiden like you should not have violent tendencies, you know…"

"I still say that all fair maidens should learn self-defense," I huffed, "to protect themselves against wolves like you!"

"Ah… the proverbial rose with thorns, I see…" he said, going all poetic again. That was just so him. Before Eiji could ramble on some more about flower gardens and white clouds and whatnot, Makoto stopped him.

"Eiji, we still on for Saturday night?" he asked.

"Why, of course! I would never pass up the chance for a good mug of beer and snacks. Be sure to bring some interesting stories!"

"Likewise."

I said, "Is this the guys' night out kind of thing?"

"Yeah," said Eiji, "If you really want, though, you can tag along, Ai. The more the merrier, right?" And he proceeded to place one arm on my and Makoto's shoulders, pulling us closer to himself, his wide grin showing off perfect white teeth.

"I'll pass, thanks."

"Ah, but you just said 'thanks'… is that a 'yes' in disguise?"

"Eiji!" Darn, I sure was cross!

He just laughed. Then he spoke again, "Are you guys busy? I was thinking since all three of us are together and I have some free time now… then why don't we hit up a fancy restaurant to talk about old times?" As an afterthought, he added, "It's my treat. Don't worry, I wouldn't ask you guys to share the bill with me. That's not my style!"

Makoto was grateful but could not accept Eiji's generous offer. "Thanks for the invite, but I still need to work on my portfolio. It's due tomorrow, actually."

"Huh, really?" Our artiste friend looked a mite disappointed, but he understood that his best pal was a busy man. Oh cripes, he was looking right at me. I just knew what that mischievous stare meant. "Well then, I'll take my time with my lovely friend here –"

In a hurry I turned him down. "No, I'm tired and I just want to rest. So goodbye, I'm walking Makoto back home and then I'm going to need my beauty sleep. Later."

He chuckled. "Aw… you know, Ai, playing hard-to-get will only endear yourself to me even more."

Geez… I couldn't stand this guy! I ignored him and turned to Makoto. "Hey, it's getting late. We should head back, shouldn't we?"

Before he could answer, Makoto's cell phone made a distinct beeping sound, more like an alarm rather than a conventional ringtone. He excused himself, fished it out of his pocket and took a look at it for a few seconds. "I almost forgot about afterwards!"

"Huh?"

"My work colleagues are having an early dinner in half an hour's time," he explained, "There are some VIPs present and I'm one of the people who have to show our faces. It's extremely important so I can't miss this one. Lucky I've got this timed reminder that I wrote on my cell phone or I might have missed it for real! That'd be terrible."

"Wait, but – " Did this mean we wouldn't be walking home together this evening?

He dashed off, leaving me and Eiji alone. "Sorry, guys! But I've gotta hustle. Talk to you later!"

"B-But…!"

All that was left of him was a silhouette that shrunk into the distance and disappeared. _No wait!_ I wanted to shout, _Don't leave me here with this crazy fool!_

"Ah well… I guess that leaves you and me now, not that that's a problem," said Eiji, putting his arm on my shoulder. Again. That guy really likes to touch his gal pals a lot, and it makes me mad. "So am I right to say that we'll be the only ones having dinner together? It _was_ supposed to be between three people, but…"

"No, it's just you tonight," I grumbled, slapping his hand aside and starting to walk away. But he followed.

"Oh come now, I'm doing you a great favour by taking you out to the most expensive restaurant in town. You'll love it there."

"Ugh, drop it, will you? I'm sick of your skirt-chasing and everything."

"Ah… skirts. Nothing like a short skirt on a windy day like today, right, Ai?"

Huh? ! No, not in front of him of all people! I hurriedly reached for the back of my skirt to try and smooth it down, afraid that it might have hitched up in the wind. However, it turned out that nothing of the sort had happened, and I was safe. That was when he sniggered, "Gotcha."

"C-Cut it out!" Then, out of curiosity and the fact that I just had to make really darn sure, I added, "You… You really didn't see anything, did you? Like really, really didn't see? 'Cause you'd better not."

He laughed at how panicked I was growing. "Didn't see a thing… White panties aren't much to look at, anyway."

"EIJI! ! !"

"Whoa, I was just kidding! Stop strangling me!"

XOXOXOXOXO

It wasn't long before I reached the foyer of my apartment, but with Eiji in tow and refusing to leave me alone, the whole journey felt for all the world like an entire lifetime. Times one hundred.

"Aw, come on, Ai… seriously," said Eiji, "it's been two months since we last met and here you're tossing me aside? Where's the love? I just want to see how you're doing. No fair that Mick has you all to himself and I can't." He gave a chuckle.

"You're always annoying the heck out of me," I grumbled. "Every time we meet, it's torture! What's with you, anyway?"

"Gee, torture, you say?"

"Well, what else would it be for me? !"

The smile never left his face nor drooped one bit. "I just love messing with you, that's all. It's all harmless good fun, you know. Mick can tease you, why can't I?"

I was about to retaliate with a barrage of reasons why Eiji was such a bother, when the elevator dinged and my mother trooped out, dressed up and with her leather suitcase.

"Mum?" Looked like she was going on another cooking class tonight – she signed up for those because cooking's her hobby and the kitchen's her oyster.

"Ai! It's getting late! Hurry inside," she said. "I have to get to my class. Dinner's in the pot." When she spotted Eiji beside me, she turned her attention to him. "Oh! Aren't you… Eiji Oji?" Despite all the hype around him, my pop music-illiterate mother didn't know or care that he was a famous star. She only remembered him as an upperclassman of mine.

His demeanour changed in a snap, completely losing the perverted quality he was known for. "Oh yes, good evening, ma'am!" he said politely. "How are you?"

Mum chuckled good-naturedly. "I'm not what I used to be in my younger days, but I'm still fit as a fiddle. You seem to be doing well yourself, Eiji. I trust you're taking care of your health?"

"Most definitely! Ah, before I forget, ma'am, I actually came to ask you…" What nefarious plan did he have in mind now? He had better not do anything weird. "It's been almost a year since I last saw Ai, and as you might know, we've been friends in high school before." A year? ! What a liar! The last time I saw him was two months ago at 104 Building and he was fawning over me like I was his queen. So grating.

"I haven't had the chance to ask how she's doing and everything, so I came here to ask for your permission to take her out to dinner for today." Wait, what? ! "Not as a couple, of course, but as old friends. Please, ma'am? That is if you don't mind."

I started to protest, but Mum beat me to it. "Oh, how courteous you are!" she said, beaming. "Yes, Ai once told me that you're her high school friend. I understand that you kids must be interested to know what's happening in each other's lives lately. So, by all means, go ahead and have fun!"

"Wh-What? !" I cried out, horrified. "H-Hey, Mum! You… You can't –"

"Ai, he's your good friend," Mum said with a slight frown. "Don't you want to chat about old times? And you haven't had the chance to see or talk to him for so long either…"

"But… I… He…"

Without waiting for me to finish, Mum shooed me back to Eiji's side, saying cheerily, "Run along now, you kids! Eiji, you're a nice boy; take care of my daughter, will you?"

His grin was stretched so wide, the grin of a winner. "You got it!" He swiftly wrapped his arm around me and whisked me back down the street, with Mum waving after us happily and calling out to remind us not to stay out too late, before going on her way.

Why, that little…! By getting on Mum's good side, he had me backed into a corner with no chance of escape! Now I had no choice but to have dinner with this pervert!

"Did your mum have to call me 'boy'? !" he muttered to me softly, as he walked me to his intended destination. "Suddenly I feel less of a man…"

"Serves you right. But more importantly," I snarled, teeth gritted in annoyance, "did you have to trick my mum like that? ! I don't want to go out with you, you idiot!"

"Whoa, Ai, you say I 'tricked' her, but I beg to differ."

"How so? ! Saying that you haven't seen me in a year when the last time was two months ago qualifies as lying, right? !"

"Not exactly," said Eiji, whom I thought had a skip in his steps, "because those two months that I didn't see you felt like an entire year… Oh, Ai, you have no idea how lonely I was without the company of a sweet young thing like you!" He hugged me closer.

"Argh!"

XOXOXOXOXO

Every now and then, we're faced with a grossly unfavourable situation in which there is no good solution and where running away is impossible. Sitting at a corner table in a ramen shop with skirt-chaser extraordinaire Eiji Oji, I had the overwhelming feeling that this was one of those "why me" times.

And that stupid smile of his never once vanished the whole time we were there. He sure was having fun, though I wasn't. I'd have liked it if it was Makoto I was having dinner with, but Lady Luck chose to hate me today.

"Hey, don't frown like that, Ai," he sniggered, "It's no good to have ridges on your forehead at such a tender young age."

"You're to blame for that," I said bluntly, "And it's not like you're making things any easier for me."

"What'd you mean?"

"Almost every girl in Shibuya is vying for your attention, so…"

He brushed a hand through his silky golden-dyed hair. "Yeah," he whistled proudly, like that was an achievement, "I know… I'm so good. Why, I could F myself! F for Fabulous!"

"It's neither good nor fabulous for _me!_" I spluttered, resting my forehead in one hand in a display of vexation, "Half of the girls in here have been glaring at me like they want to kill me. Because I'm sitting together with their favourite pop star, they must think you're giving me special treatment… It's not my fault they're jealous!"

"That's right, Ai," he said, oblivious to my anger, "It's totally not your fault. I mean, first come first serve, right?"

"That's not the point, stupid! Ugh… never mind. I'll try to survive somehow. But if something happens to me, I'm holding you responsible." I had a bowl of shio ramen for myself. It's one of my favourite foods, but tonight it felt more like a school lunch. I was eating rather half-heartedly and he took notice.

"Not tasty enough?" he said, "There's salt and pepper here, but I was thinking that you might be more interested in other condiments of the exquisite kind… a helping of love, or a dash of passion…"

"You can skip the sweet talk, stalker-boy."

Eiji had made passes at me in school before, but I knew he wasn't serious. And I always brushed him off anyway. Among all the girls in Seiko High, I was probably the only one who was (and still am) immune to his charms. I just didn't see him as a romantic interest or even a fangirl idol figure. None of them could understand why. If they could think straight, this world would be a better and saner place…

But if he wasn't serious, then his behaviour today was a tad too persistent… Strange…

Just eating was tough when he had his eyes trained on me the whole time. Gah… I was starting to lose it, gripped by self-consciousness. Was there something on my face? Was there a stray frond of hair sticking out of my head? What weird thoughts was he having about me? He wasn't staring at my chest, was he? …Wait, he _was_ staring at my chest!

"H-Hey!" I yelped, covering myself with my arms. "Stop looking at me!" I wasn't even wearing anything hot; it was just my school uniform for goodness' sake! Was my bra showing through the material of my shirt? ! It shouldn't be that obvious…

But he just laughed again. "I knew I could get you flustered sooner or later. And when you blush or get mad, you're just so cute."

Well, he had succeeded in what he wanted to achieve, because I was both mad and red in the face. "You… You idiot… If I could, I'd leave right now."

"Oh? And you aren't going to?" Even in the face of great danger (me), his tone was completely relaxed like everything was okay.

"Only because you'll chase me down if I did," I replied, shooting daggers at him from my eyes. "There's no getting away from you. Anyway, just stop bothering me; I want to eat."

"Want me to feed you all lovey-dovey-like?"

"No!"

For a while after that, we ate in silence, as though Eiji had run out of things to say to annoy me. But such bliss was short-lived…

He cocked his head to the side a little. "Hey, Ai…"

"What now? !"

With lightning reflexes, he dabbed his finger lightly on my cheek and then popped it into his mouth. "You got ramen sauce on your cheek. But it's all clean now, heh heh."

Urk! I couldn't believe he actually did that! It couldn't have taken more than a second but the effect it had on me was tremendous. Darn it, I was blushing too… I was a fidgeting pile of nerves! And it was all because of this pain in the neck! I could sense the death glares of all the girls in the ramen shop on me.

"Very tasty." He licked his finger clean, much like what a child would do after handling a greasy meal of fried chicken.

"Sh-Shut up…" The urge to strangle him was overpowering… but this was a public place… Couldn't do it… Argh…

Wait a minute… Eiji wasn't usually this relentless with any of the girls he had met. Sure, he liked to flirt with them, such was his fun-loving nature, but those harmless endeavours of his were never this aggressive.

I began to have deep suspicions that he might actually have feelings for me, but it was hard to tell what he was thinking. He was an enigma, a living tapestry of unbreakable secrets.

Compared to Makoto, he was much more handsome, almost as witty if not wittier, and equally hardworking. If it weren't for his irritating ways, he would be almost every girl's dream guy. But I wasn't in love with him. I was in love with Makoto, and that was that, clear and simple. Like hell some pervert with a penchant for bad poetry would sweep me off my feet!

I had to make this clear to him. "Eiji."

"What's up, buttercup?"

"What's your true intention? Are you trying to hit on me?"

"Eh?" He looked slightly confused.

"If you are, then I'm sorry. I have been trying to tell you all this time but you just wouldn't listen, so try and get it into your thick skull now. I'm not in love with you, Eiji. If you somehow thought you could capture my heart, then… you're terribly mistaken."

"Um…"

"You're not my type," I reiterated firmly. "Sorry."

Eiji looked stunned, like he had been slapped across the face with one of his own latest album CDs. Meanwhile, I thought I could hear the relieved sighs of all the girls in the restaurant.

He probably never got even one rejection from the girls he had flirted with. But come to think about it, he never actually went out with any of them either. All we knew was that he liked joking around with the girls a lot, but the thought about whether or not he may have a girlfriend never crossed anybody's minds. He was a player, a Casanova… but not boyfriend material, and he probably didn't intend to be anyone's boyfriend anyway. If he was, he couldn't be free to be the bee that flitted from one flower to another as he pleased.

Strangely enough, he began to smile again. But it wasn't one of his sardonic ones.

"To tell you truth, Ai," he said, "I'm not trying to start a relationship with you or anything. More like… I wanted to test you."

"Test me? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you like Mick, don't you?"

I tried to calm myself down to make the blush on my face less obvious, but I knew it was useless. "Mick? Wh-Who's Mick? !"

"Come on, you know who I'm talking about."

"No," I said, my lie as clear and transparent as glass, "I like Makoto as a friend, but not in the way you speak of!"

Laughing softly, he mussed my hair in a playful manner, saying, "Sure, deny as much as you like, but I know love when I see it. Your eyes shine like diamonds when you talk to him."

Gah! He's sharp.

"I wanted to test how loyal you are to him," he continued. "I dare say a lot of girls fall victim to my charms, but you're among a few who spurn my advances." Oh please, anyone in their right mind would shove him off; the thing is, in a society where the presence of Prince fangirls was ubiquitous, finding someone with a rational mindset was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

He took a sip from his drink before speaking again. "Despite all the things that I've been doing to you, you never once fell for me. Other girls would have fainted into my arms since long ago, but you didn't. Your resolve never faltered. Your love never changed. And that makes you the kind of girl whom I think Mick would like!"

"Wh-Wh-What? ! Wait, wait, hold on a minute," I said, hands trembling, "Makoto and I… We're not going out… And, and… he's not interested in me in that way…"

"But both of you have been the closest of friends since high school. I mean, he's like the guy version of Mina." Eiji knew Mina from high school too, just like he knew me.

"Actually, there's a big difference between him and her." Makoto wasn't nearly as goofy as her…

"What? Anyway, as your friend for nearly… oh, four years? …he most likely has _some_ feelings towards you. It's only inevitable."

"I-It's brotherly affection!"

He chuckled at my reaction. "I think it's more than that, Ai."

Four years was indeed a long enough time for romance to develop and blossom between two people. Heck, it wouldn't even take a fraction of that time; I of all people know that the best. I had to admit the possibility of Makoto liking me back was extremely tantalizing. If Eiji's words could be counted on, then maybe my luck wouldn't be too bad.

"Y-You think so?" My voice had shrunk into a tiny whisper.

"Ai, what you and Mick are in right now is the classic 'friendship-turns-into-love' situation," he said. "He likes you so much! Mick's always telling me how nice and helpful you are. And that you're a lot of fun to hang around with."

"H-He says that? About me?"

"Of course! Do you think I'd lie?"

"…Yes."

"Way to kill the happy mood, Ai," he sighed, "but listen to this! One night, we were having a few beers at a bar, and he got gloriously tipsy. Now, I may have been a little drunk myself, but I clearly heard him say this about you…"

"Wh-What did he say? !" It was hard to calm my racing heart.

"He accidentally blurted out what might be one of his greatest secrets, and in his own words, he said…" Eiji cleared his throat. "…'Ai has all the best qualities in a friend I could ever ask for. She's kind, funny, and cares about my welfare… She's really nice. I could marry her.'"

I recoiled in my seat at this revelation, cupping my hands over my mouth just in time to muffle a loud gasp. So Makoto really liked me enough to… marry me? !

"Wow! You're like a living heater," He was amused by how red my face had become. "You're positively burning up, Ai."

"How can I not? !" I mumbled. "He… He actually…"

"…wanted to pop the big question?" Eiji finished for me. "Oh yes. Shocking… but nice to know, don't you think?"

This was a little much… Why would he say something like that? …Hold it. Suddenly my gut feeling kicked into action, telling me to step back and _think_ like a normal person. This was simply too outlandish to be believed…

"Hey," I muttered, "are you serious?"

He stifled his laughter, albeit without much success. "Ha ha! Sorry, but I made that last bit up. Mick didn't actually say that he wanted your hand in marriage. I just said it to see how you'd react. Man, I've never seen such a brilliant shade of red… Looks like I've got a winner!" And he proceeded to laugh his head off.

Ugh…

Karate chop. _WHACK!_

"Ow! Sorry, I was just pulling your leg," he said, rubbing his head where I had hit him. "This was all worth it though. Ha ha!"

"Shut up, you idiot…" I should have known better than to trust the words of this foolish playboy!

"Chill, it's nothing serious," he grinned.

"Yeah, whatever." I nursed my hand, because apparently his head was harder than I thought. "To think I was actually happy for a second th–"

_Whap!_ That was the sound of my hand clapping onto my mouth again to shut myself up in a hurry. That got Eiji curious. Oh shoot!

"Whoa, Ai… What'd you say? Are you actually… disappointed? So you do have the hots for Makoto, eh?"

"What? ! Of course not! Why'd you think that? !"

"Even your ears are bright red."

"Will you cut it out? !"

"Well, I've had my fun poking fun at you, so I'll call it a night. But it's not all a lie, though. Mick _does_ like you, but whether he loves you or not…" He gave me a gentle poke on the forehead. "…that's for you to find out. Because to be honest with you, even I don't know. And I'm his best friend."

I said nothing to that. At the end of the day, the fact that Makoto liked me as a friend was definitely confirmed, but then again, I knew about that a long time ago. However, I still had no clue as to his true feelings towards me, so any hopeful insight into his mind came to naught. Back to square one.

He loves me, he loves me not… Ah, if the flowers I picked had odd numbers of petals… But the last thing I wanted was a four-leaf clover… Wait, aren't four-leaf clovers supposed to be lucky? Talk about a double-edged sword. And are clovers even flowers in the first place? I hardly think so… Best not to think too much about it…

"Don't give up, Ai," said Eiji, with a kind, serious tone he rarely used, "Just keep on at it. Mick's not dumb; he'll know eventually."

"Uh-huh…"

"But hey, if you ever change your mind, I'm always ready to be by your side," he joked. "We could do so many things together! Like taking moonlit walks down the streets, or snuggling up on a bench at the park, or –"

"Eiji, do you seriously think I'm stupid?"

XOXOXOXOXO

Eiji's words kept me awake that night. Try as I might, I couldn't sleep.

_Mick _does_ like you…_

Not just as a friend, but in a romantic sense, right? It made me wonder about that. It just wouldn't leave my mind, and it plagued my thoughts for the rest of the next day at school. My concentration was at an all-time low.

I felt a soft whack to my head.

"Ai!"

"Wh-Wha…? !"

"Stop daydreaming!" snapped the captain of the cheerleader squad. "We're having practice now!"

"I-I'm sorry, captain!"

I sheepishly looked around at the other cheerleaders, to see if they were giggling. They weren't. In fact, they seemed to be just as distracted as I was for some reason, and the captain noticed.

"Exactly what is wrong with the whole lot of you? !" she scolded, arms akimbo. "All of you look out of it! Pull yourselves together!"

"Um… but, captain," said one of the girls meekly, "it's just that there's this guy sitting in the stands, and he's been watching us."

With a nervous finger, she pointed at the unwelcome guest in question. True enough, sitting quite far away in the upper stalls was a man, smartly dressed in a suit and tie. He was eyeing our group with interest. His features were quite fuzzy at this distance, but the captain had sharper eyesight than I did.

"Miki-sempai!" she cried out in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Miki-sempai? Wait… it was Makoto, wasn't it! Here he was in the gym for some reason, but what?

Makoto chuckled, "You never change, do you, captain? Just call me by my name. 'Miki-sempai' is too formal for me. Oh, and about your question, I'm just here to, you know, check out the cheerleader squad. It's been a while since I left Seiko High, so I'm just curious."

All of us knew Makoto from our early high school days as one of the guys in the Student Council. When it became clear that he was in the house, everyone started chattering excitedly amongst themselves.

"That's Miki-sempai from the Student Council!"

"He graduated from this school a couple of years back, right?"

"That tie looks hot on him. So dreamy." Huh? !

Makoto spoke to the captain, "Is it okay if I stay here and watch? I wouldn't be long because I have to get back to work soon."

She was a bit hesitant but relented anyway. "Well… we don't usually let outsiders into the gym while we're practicing, but okay. Just this one time, sempai."

"Strict as ever," he teased. "That's one of your good traits, captain."

I thought I perceived a very slight blush on her cheeks. Wow, apparently even our no-nonsense captain was susceptible to compliments, huh? And when he waved at us, the rest of us were reduced to a gaggle of giggling idiots. I knew Makoto was handsome but I never knew he had about the same level of charisma as Eiji…

And while it was a nice surprise that he was here to watch me train, I was also a little worried.

If everyone's so smitten with him, then did I just have myself a whole bunch of competitors for his affection?

None of us could keep our heads straight that afternoon. And Makoto was to blame for it. He didn't do anything; he just sat there watching us, but it was enough to throw our focus out the window. I had it the worst. Was he here to watch me? I had never felt so self-conscious in my life!

"S-Stop sneaking glances at Miki-sempai!" cried the poor captain, desperately trying to get our acts together. But it was hopeless. No matter how much we tried to ignore him, his presence seemed to pull our eyes towards him. Herding cats would have been much easier.

It was good to know that Makoto liked me enough to go out of his way and pay me a visit.

But I was almost relieved when he slunk out to get back to work. Whew! With everyone the way they were now, I'd have to be even more aggressive in my quest to ensnare him!


	8. 8: Flashback: Nurse's office

**Moon and Sun (Part 8)  
><strong>by BrDPirateMan

Man… what a day.

Nothing like a good soak in the tub after a long day at school. The water was pleasant on my skin, and I could feel the pain in my aching muscles disappearing. Cheerleading was good and all, but it sure was hard work!

Today had been an uneventful day. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, classes weren't very interesting, and the food at the canteen was still inedible. Even with canteen staff taking the initiative to cook up a different dish every day, the culinary situation at Seiko High was still hopeless. College was just two years away for me, so I was hoping that college food would taste better. It had better…

With nothing memorable today that I could chew over, my mind drifted off and wound back in time to recall the memories I made in junior high. As though I was searching through the tracks of a music CD, I chose one at random and played it over.

And thus began this tale of mine, a blast from the past…

_Shibuya Stardust Pictures  
><em>_presents_

_An Endless Romance production_

"_FORBIDDEN AFTERNOON"  
><em>_A feel-good romantic movie by Ai_

_Starring…_

Aargh, stop! How many times did my mind have to go into overdrive? I was familiar with involuntary poetry-crafting by now, and my fame as the Daydream Queen precedes me, but movie-making in the very crevices of my head? And why did the title have to sound like that of an X-rated film? ! Sometimes an overactive imagination is a scary thing…

A-Anyway, just ignore that and let's get on with the story already…!

XOXOXOXOXO

It was about two years ago, when I was in Form Two (I'm currently in Form Four with about one more year of high school to go before I graduate). The annual interschool sports meet was coming up, and once again Seiko High was pitted against its archrival Yoshihito Middle School. The tension in the air was electric even before the big day. Nobody wanted to lose, especially not to our rivals. Our schools shared a fierce – at times violent – history with competitions and in fact everything.

Some of us didn't really want to join in, but the PE teachers made us. So here I was trying out for the long jump event. Mina, also an unwilling participant, was standing together with me and the rest of the athletes as we were waiting for our turn to hopefully impress them. We just didn't have that much of an affinity for sports.

"You know, Ai," she said softly so as not to be heard, "I kinda wonder how things will wind up on Sports Day. I just hope it's not ugly…"

"If last year's sports meet is anything to go by," I said, "then I think we need to tighten security."

"During judo, it looked more like a fistfight between street thugs…" she said. "Did they seriously want to kill each other that much?"

"Let's not forget the dispute that occurred during that badminton match." I shook my head. "Who'd have thought shuttlecocks could be struck hard enough to kneecap a person…"

"I don't even want to start with the three-legged race. I'll never forget the three-legged flying kick-double uppercut-piledriver combo…"

"Sure makes the mind reel, huh? The horrors of yesteryear may repeat themselves… or worse."

Our long jump trainer, a middle-aged tyrant who had coerced countless students to their athletic slavery, interrupted our conversation with his loud voice. "Ai, you're up next. Go."

"Ah… Y-Yes, sir."

Geez, how many times did he want us to do this? My legs were as wobbly as jelly. _Darn it, coach, just stop the madness already._

I took a running start, but as I was running, I realized that my legs felt more than a little funny. My muscles seemed to ache more than usual… the pain was cutting to the bone. And that was when I knew I was at my limit.

The sandbox was fast approaching. I only had to run a little further, reach the end, make a giant leap, and then pretend to have a sprained ankle so that I could be exempted from further training torture. All I wanted was to call it a day and rest.

That was my intended plan. Too bad it didn't go as I wished.

Run a little further? Check.

Reach the end? Check.

Make a giant leap? Um…

Perhaps "make a giant mess" would be more precise.

What happened? At the point when I was about to make the jump, the toe of my shoe dug into the ground. But I was already in mid-jump at this time, so the momentum sent me tumbling down the sandbox in a bizarre-looking somersault. I landed flat on my face, getting an eyeful of sand.

"Ai! Are you okay? !" Mina was the first one to come to my side and pluck my head from the sand. The other training athletes crowded around me, together with the PE teacher who was just as concerned.

I brushed the sand off of my face. "Uh… I think I'm fine. But my foot hurts."

"How bad is it?" asked the coach.

I picked myself up and swiveled round to sit in an upright position. Almost immediately I could feel a searing pain in my right foot. "Ow!"

The coach said to me, "Your ankle might be sprained. Best you head to the infirmary."

Looked like I didn't even need to pretend that I had a sprained ankle. That was authentic at least. But it sure sucked.

"I'll take her there, coach," offered Mina.

"I… I think I should be okay," I said, getting up gingerly, shifting my body weight to my good foot. "Well, I'll go to the nurse's office now."

"H-Hey, you sure? I mean, that was a fantastic somersault-belly flop you did earlier. Anyone would have some broken bones by now. You better treat them!"

Mina was a caring person, but sometimes, the way she showed that she cared made it look like she was sarcastic or an idiot. This was one of those times.

"I should be able to manage," I said. "Thanks anyway." With that, I limped away.

XOXOXOXOXO

The pain wasn't so bad that I couldn't walk, but it wasn't something I could ignore either. One cold compress and some bandages to hold my ankle together and I would be out of there.

No one was inside the nurse's office. Most of the time the school nurse was never there, so in the case of an injury, we students had to deal with it ourselves. At least there was everything we could possibly need for every situation – gauze, cotton swabs, iodine and more. It gave a whole new meaning to the term "physician, heal thyself".

The exhaustion from my long jump training had taken its toll and I wanted nothing more than to sit down on the nice bed for a bit. And I did just that.

I examined my foot, twisting it this way and that very slightly to gauge how bad my injury was. Having a sprained ankle would give me more than my fair share of inconveniences, but at least I wouldn't have to do any more of that stupid training for a while. Hey! Maybe I could be exempted from the sports meet! It was coming up in a week's time, so all I had to do was to _not_ heal!

…Easier said than done, of course…

A series of soft knocks on the door made me jump, and in my startled state, my hands slipped and wrenched my foot, and a most almighty pain zapped through my system.

"OW! ! !"

The person on the other side of the door, obviously a guy, cried out, "Oh! Sorry for disturbing you! I just wanted to –" He paused for a fraction of a second. "Wait… Ai! Is that you, Ai?"

I knew that voice like the back of my hand. "Makoto?"

The door swung ajar and he poked his head in. "Aha! I knew it was you," he said with a grin, "I can recognize that voice of yours anywhere! Only you would scream like that."

I fixed a scowl at him, pretending to be annoyed. "If that's a compliment, I don't mind returning it, Mr Polite-And-Tactful."

He laughed. "Hey, may I come in? I, uh, busted my fingers while playing volleyball just now." Through the gap in the door he stuck out a badly bruised hand. Seeing his hand in a multitude of ugly colours sent me into full alert.

"Oh no! Your hand…!" Concerned, I hopped off the bed, wanting to walk over and examine his injuries close-up, but my bad ankle had other plans. Unable to keep my balance, I fell over and hit the floor with a great thud. Luckily I managed to shield my face with my arm, so all of my teeth were intact. It wouldn't do for a prospective girlfriend to wear false teeth.

Makoto was crouching beside me in an instant, carefully pulling me in a seating position on the floor. "Ai! You… Are you hurt? !"

"Ugh… I'm fine, but I think my foot feels worse now." I rubbed my throbbing arms.

"Y-Your foot?" He snapped his gaze towards my ankle. "Gosh, it's swollen. Let me take a closer look."

He slipped his hands underneath my back and behind my knees, then hoisted me into his arms bridal-style. "There you go," he said, with a slight grunt of exertion as he placed me back on the bed, coaxing me into a sitting position on the edge.

The whole thing didn't take a long time, five seconds at best.

But now, in addition to my ankle and the bruises on my arms, I developed a whole new set of problems altogether. I was trembling so violently I thought I would have a seizure.

"Wh-What's wrong now? !" he cried, completely alarmed. "I… I didn't hurt you or anything, did I?"

"N-No, it's nothing…" Nothing wrong except for the tell-tale symptoms of what I personally call the "blind love syndrome". The face is flushed, the heart pumps faster than a V8 engine, and all form of coherent thought flies out the window. All he did was pick me up in his arms, but it was such a pleasant feeling to play bride even if it was for a few moments, and I fell victim once more to the embarrassing effects of this condition. There wasn't anything in this infirmary that could restore myself to normal, was there? A dose of stupidity suppressants might do the trick, or a pheromone blocker of some sort…

Darn it, what was I doing acting like Dr Fumiko? Focus! I had to act normal, and not like some love-struck fanatic.

"Hmmm, definitely swollen," remarked Makoto, squeezing the area around my heel lightly with his fingers. "I'll need to wrap this up tight-like."

After some rummaging around in a cupboard he found a roll of gauze, and from this he cut off a length of it. Then with admirable dexterity he wound it around my ankle. He was down on one knee like he was some kind of prince putting a glass slipper on me. I gulped hard.

"O-Oh, Makoto, y-you don't need to do this," I said, feeling my cheeks heat up, "I just got here, and I intended to do it myself…"

"Well, I'm here anyway, so I might as well help you out."

"But your hand!" I protested. "It's bruised so badly. You shouldn't do something like this that may injure it further."

He looked up at me with a kind smile. "I wouldn't mind as long as it helps you get better, Ai."

Mmph! This wasn't good… Just one sentence from him and I was overcome with dizziness.

This was one of the things that drew me to him. His selflessness was a quality that was seldom seen in people nowadays, like he was from a long-lost race of chivalrous men. I didn't idolize him, or get all obsessed over him, but I couldn't help gushing over him in secret because he's just perfect in almost every way. Intelligence, diligence, and even a great sense of humour. All these and more, wrapped in a single package. Of course, he had his faults, but no one's perfect and I still loved him.

He wasn't generous to a fault, but he was always ready to lend a hand in times of need. He may be a member of the Student Council, but unlike a few of his Council peers who often thought of themselves as high-and-mighty, he never made you feel uncomfortable from talking to him. And during the times when I had to jump out of my comfort zone, like give a speech or perform in a school festival, he was always there to give me moral support.

Of course I can't forget how good ol' Mina would ease my worries too in such a case, but you simply don't fall in love with someone of the same gender. I mean, him and her are different. Then again, she's not the main focus of this tale now…

So even though Makoto couldn't compare to Eiji Oji in terms of attractiveness, he was a total hunk to me. Ah… the days I spent dreaming about him… but…

…I really hated how everything he did that I liked had to have a viciously powerful effect on me. _I wouldn't mind as long as it helps you get better, Ai,_ he had said, and now my head was swaying. Unable to keep it steady, I unconsciously leaned backwards too far. There was a dull crunch as my head connected with the wall.

"Ai? !" he cried. He had seen the whole thing.

"Ouch… That hurt a bit…" I rubbed the back of my head. "Ha ha ha… I'm so clumsy. Ha ha… eh?"

In a flash, he opened the fridge and took out a cold compress, plopping it on my head. "Where does it hurt?" he said, moving it around on my scalp. "I saw it was at the back; did I get it right?"

"Oh, um, it's the entire head really," was what I'd have liked to say, because it was nice having him pet my head like this. It's not petting, of course, but… well, you know. Despite the coldness of the compress, I had an incredibly warm feeling inside me. Ahaha… this was only going to worsen my "blind love syndrome"… I had this incredible urge to touch his hand and guide it onto the right spot on my head; wouldn't that be nice…?

No, Ai. Self-restraint. Self-restraint… The effort it took to fight my inclinations was large enough to force Earth out of orbit. I settled for a safe reply which I hoped wasn't unintentionally seductive. "Yeah, just about. Th-Thanks."

"You hold onto that," he said, leaving me to dab the compress by myself. "I'll need to do something about my hand."

As he began unwinding the roll of bandages, I struck upon an idea. I processed its pros and cons in two seconds and was convinced that it was the greatest thing ever. And so, "Oh, Makoto," I said, "let me help you with that!"

"It's alright, I can handle this."

"But it's not easy to wrap bandages around a hand. You've got only one free hand, right? So I'll help you out and it'll be nice and tight."

"That… Hmmm, you have a point. But what about your head –"

"I'm fine! This kind of thing is no big deal for me because I'm used to it!"

"U-Used to it?"

"Ah, n-never mind about that, ha ha ha!" I was cursed with clumsiness throughout my life, and it's not like I could help it…

"Come," I said with almost genuine care, "let me take a look at that hand of yours." So he sat on the bed beside me (_gasp!_) to let me work my healing magic.

I say "almost genuine" because while I wanted to help him, there was also that underlying ulterior motive. A simple act like tending to his injury would strengthen our friendship further, and after that…

"_Ai, you're good at this," he said, nodding in awe at how so _perfectly_ his hand was bandaged._

"_Well, shucks, we're friends, you know," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "That was for caring about me."_

"_One good turn deserves another, huh? In that case, how about I repay you in turn for your selfless act… with dinner?"_

"_Dinner? You mean… w-with me?"_

"_Why not?" He clasped both of my hands in his, and action that made both of us blush at the same time. "Ai, let me treat you to dinner tonight at this fancy restaurant I know of. The ambience is so romantic, that many couples go there to pop the big question…"_

"_R-Really?" I gulped, secretly enjoying this, "Oh! I… Yes! I'll gladly have dinner with you… So… Sh-Should I wear a dress or something?"_

_He placed a hand under my chin and tilted my head in the slightest, gazing into my eyes. "Ai, no matter whether you wear a dress or a school uniform, you're still beautiful to me."_

Ah…! Such warmth and fuzziness! Hee hee! Such a delightful thought! I was such a genius. It was the perfect set-up for things to come!

"Um, Ai…" came Makoto's voice from the real world.

"Oh, I'm sorry for spacing out there, Makoto. I'll get round to it now – WAH!"

The sight of the pile of bandages that had formed at my feet made me jump. I must have unconsciously unraveled the entire roll while I was daydreaming!

But Makoto just laughed, not in an unkind way, but simply because he found it amusing. "I don't need so much to cover up my hand, Ai."

"Urk!" Remind me to leave the daydreaming for when I'm back in the privacy of my own home! In public it had the tendency to lead to embarrassing situations!

My intended plan was to wrap his hand up neatly and beautifully. But I got so nervous and my hands were shaking like I was suffering from shio ramen cold turkey. The traction in my fingertips was practically zero. My slippery hands might as well have been made of ice and banana peels! Eventually, when I was done, the bandages on his hand were all over the place, criss-crossed in all directions. I could only hope that they wouldn't come away by themselves.

He looked at his hand, eyebrows furrowed together in a quizzical manner.

"Gee, um, I'm sorry, Makoto," I said sheepishly, "I know it looks ugly, but please don't hate me for it…"

"Well, it certainly is… unique," he said, staring at the haphazard mess where his hand used to be. "I guess you could say it has a certain je ne sais quoi about it. But don't worry about it! It's the thought that counts, right? Even though it _is_ a little weird-looking, like a cauliflower or something." He grinned and tousled with my hair mischievously.

"You're mean, Makoto…" I sighed, wilting like a dead flower. "I tried my best too, well, kind of."

"For all intents and purposes, you did a good job, Ai. You're far from getting a gold star, but it's not bad, ha ha ha!"

Before I could react, he said cheerily, "Hey, I know! Since we're both injured, let's play hooky for the rest of the day!"

"Wh-What? ! Play hooky… Wh-What do you mean by that? !"

"We're out of action, Ai, so it's not like we can do anything else. Sitting on the bench out there doing nothing is pretty boring, and why must we sit out in the hot weather anyway, when we've got air-conditioning in here?"

But if it was just the two of us alone in a secluded place like this, then wouldn't this be like a… a date? ! No, wait, this couldn't be a date. It was more like a tryst! A forbidden meeting!

I had not mentioned it before, but I had heard rumours of couples sneaking into the nurse's office to have some time to themselves. This was possible and in fact very easy to do because there was rarely anyone stationed in there. Using its medical supplies was a DIY affair. I knew of some guys who would sometimes pop inside to lie down on the bed for a quick nap, without fear of being caught as long as they returned to their classrooms in time.

But this also meant that anything could happen in here, and no one would be the wiser! Just thinking about what all those rumoured couples must have been doing in this very room was making me very hot and bothered. In this room, and… on this bed! Eek!

The room itself was an aphrodisiac! It was the perfect place for people to fool around with each other… Lock the doors and you'll have all the privacy you need! The nurse's office was supposed to be a haven for the sick and wounded, but instead it's a cesspool for sleaze and delinquency!

And right now, Makoto and I were all by ourselves in here… Oh no, my already rampaging hormones were making it so hard to think straight. It didn't help matters that my mind was conjuring up all sorts of forbidden fantasies… What if Makoto did this…

_He turned to face me, using a husky voice to ask, "Is it getting hot in here?"_

"_What?" The room wasn't warm at all._

_Without a word, he grabbed a hand towel from the nearby sink, wetted it and got back to his seat on the bed. "Your face is getting red… Looks like the heat is getting to you…" As he said this he edged steadily closer to me, the towel dripping profusely from his hand. "They say that fevers should be treated accordingly, or you could collapse…"_

"_M-Makoto, what are you up to? !"_

_I backed away from him, sliding along the edge of the bed, but he only followed. When I reached the other end of the bed – I knew when the bedhead struck sharply against my back – and he wedged himself against my frame, there was no escape. I was trapped._

"_You have to treat it…" he whispered, dabbing the balled-up towel onto my cheek. It was dribbling heavily onto my shirt, water soaking rapidly through the cotton material like a sci-fi virus. But he didn't care._

"_W-Wait, Makoto," I protested weakly, slowly falling under the influence of his spell. "I… I'm…"_

_He traced the outline of my jaw with his towel, before lowering the offending rag onto my neck, squeezing more water out, which naturally flowed onto my already damp shirt. It was like he was in a deep trance._

"_You have to take it off, Ai," he said nonchalantly._

"_T-Take what off? !"_

"_Your shirt."_

"_H-Huh? ! For what? !" How could he even ask me to do something like that! That was positively lewd!_

"_If you don't, you'll get the chills." He leaned into my face so closely that his breath was tickling my glistening skin._

"_No… This… stop… Too soon…" Those were my last words before my mind fuzzed out and I surrendered to his charms._

That was one incredibly hot and suggestive thought. Maybe a little _too_ hot and suggestive… Because right then and there, no thanks to a sharp, hormonally-aided increase in blood pressure, I felt the all too familiar feeling of blood trickling out of my nose.

Makoto recoiled as though he had spotted a swarm of bees in front of him. "What the heck? !"

"Agh… Sorry, sorry." I quickly covered up my nose with my hand as best as I could, but to no avail. It just kept flowing. Something like this could only happen in a manga or something, and it happened to me. Apparently, guys aren't the only people who can get nosebleeds for this kind of reason…

I hobbled over to the sink to let my nose drip freely. How do you turn off a faulty faucet? Someone without prior knowledge, upon seeing this glorious display of olfactory bleeding, would think that a murder had occurred in here.

"I… I dun ged nuzebleeds like dis offen," I said through a pinched nose. "Sorry if I look weird."

"No, that's fine," said Makoto, who was frantically searching through the drawers for something, though I didn't know what. "Is it getting hot in here?"

"Whad? !"

He swung the overhead cabinets open, but apparently finding nothing that he wanted, he closed them again. "Your face is getting red… Looks like the heat is getting to you…"

Hey… Where have I heard those words before…? They were awfully familiar…

…Oh, no! They were from the nightmare scenario that I was preoccupied with only seconds earlier! Even if the sequence of events was slightly different, the conversation played out exactly like what I remembered!

No way… How was my nightmare coming true? ! He was going to find a towel to dampen and wipe my entire face with… But because my shirt would be dripping wet, he would… and then… and then… Oh god!

This couldn't be happening! I had to stop this right now while I still had my sanity intact! But I was in a tight spot because my nose was still bleeding!

Makoto continued to busy himself with rifling through the drawers. "Where is it… I'm sure they have it in here somewhere…"

A horrible thought suddenly came to mind. Maybe he wasn't looking for a towel, but for… condoms? ! They couldn't possibly stock such things in the nurse's office of all places, right? !

I broke out into a cold sweat. No, I didn't like this at all. I hadn't even properly admitted to him about my feelings, and now we were getting to this stage already? Trapped and alone in this place, no one would hear me scream. No one would hear my pleas. How did I get into this mess? All I wanted was to fix my foot!

"Aha!" came Makoto's triumphant voice. "I found it!" What? ! Did he actually manage to find some here? ! Condoms in a school? !

"M-Makoto, y-you can't…"

"But I have to do this, Ai," he said nonchalantly. "You'll only suffer even more if you don't do it. It'll just get worse."

No, Makoto, don't! I… I wasn't ready for this kind of thing yet! ! ! Far from eighteen and still pure and innocent!

He strode over to me, his footsteps unwavering and confident. How could he not even bat an eyelid knowing he was going to do something terrible in a public place? I was now quite pale both from fright and a lack of blood.

Shrinking away, I cried, "Makoto, wait, I can't do this…!"

"What's the matter? I'm only going to put it in so it wouldn't be so messy. Without it, it'll just flow all over the place. Wouldn't want that now, would we?"

UGH! He had to be so graphic about it too! How… How disgusting! I could take it no longer. As he came nearer, a desperate burst of courage galvanized my muscles into action.

"STOP IT! ! !"

Before I knew it the edge of my hand was embedded in his head. I didn't intend to do that. It was purely reflexive.

He was on his knees, grimacing in pain and rubbing his head vigorously. "Ow! What's that for? !" In his voice was a tinge of annoyance.

"You can't just do things like this like it's normal and stuff!" I cried out. "We may be friends, but that doesn't grant you the right to do as you please!"

The indignant air about him disappeared in an instant and was replaced by overwhelming confusion. "Wh-What are you going on about? I don't follow you at all!"

"You have to wait for the right time to do such things! Don't you get it? ! You can't jump into things anyhow you like thinking the other person wouldn't mind!"

"But this _is_ the right time for it… And I still don't understand a thing you're talking about…"

"Ugh! Makoto, you… you idiot!" I could just cry.

"Um… all I wanted to do was plug your nose with these tissues."

"But you still can't – eh?"

He held up a wad of tissues in his hand. "I was just going to help you stop that nosebleed of yours. I was looking around for tissues and I finally found some."

A momentary pause. The room was so eerily quiet for a couple of seconds. I must have looked like a fool staring at him with my nose still bloodied though no longer running.

"You just wanted to…"

"Yeah, here, take this," he said, handing the tissues to me, "You might wanna clean up your face a bit."

He wasn't going to do _that_…?

Gosh darn it, I made a mistake. A big one too. How could I be so stupid?

"Um, s-sorry!" I said hurriedly. I had to get myself out of this situation fast. "I thought you were trying to use one of those scary-looking forceps things to pinch my nose shut. Ahaha…" It wasn't the brightest thing to say, but how could I tell him, "Oh, I thought you were trying to take my virginity. My bad, ha ha!"?

"Oh, um, okay…"

"My super-sharp reflexes are to blame for a lot of things sometimes!" I added, laughing in a failed attempt to dispel the awkwardness.

"You don't need to be so tense around me, Ai," he sighed, "I'm not going to rape you or anything…"

How could he guess what I was thinking? Very strange with a capital S. And creepy with a capital C.

He started washing the blood from the sink. "Never mind about that. Anyway, let's just rest here for a bit since there's nothing for us to do. I could go home if I wanted, but I'm bored and I just want to talk."

"Oh, okay… that's cool with me. Could you wait for me? I need to head to the bathroom for a bit."

"You sure you can walk with that foot of yours?"

"I'll be fine, don't worry."

I limped out of the nurse's office and made my way to the vending machine, not the bathroom as it was merely an excuse. Even if the misunderstanding had been cleared up, I still wanted to patch things up with him a little further.

XOXOXOXOXO

Makoto was adjusting the bandages on his hand when I came back. I guess I really didn't do that good a job as I had hoped…

"Oh, Makoto," I said, nudging the door shut behind me with my hip. "Here, I got you some coffee." I was holding a can of chilled coffee in each hand, culled from the nearest vending machine, and he took one from me gratefully.

"Why, that's very thoughtful of you, Ai," he smiled. "Thanks." He had a little difficulty cracking it open with his bad hand, but he managed.

"W-Well, I just wanted to make up for the mistake I made earlier… Ahaha…"

He raised one eyebrow very slightly in surprise. But then he smiled.

"So you're admitting that you're silly?"

"Wh-What do you mean by that…?"

"Ha ha ha, never mind. But, change of topic… is your foot getting worse?"

I froze. "N-No, I'm fine. Why?"

"I dunno… You seem to be limping a bit more. Maybe it's just me then?"

I couldn't just tell him I had injured myself further. It was that stupid vending machine's fault. Why wouldn't it give my coffee, as well as my change? ! It was only after a lot of coaxing, praying and knocking on the machine itself that I eventually got my prize. I even kicked it out of anger, but by habit I had used my dominant foot, which was my right, which in turn happened to be the one I sprained. It was tough trying not to scream the whole school down.

It was the classic battle of man versus machine. I finally got my coffee, but the life was sucked out of me in the process. The stupid vending machine was the true winner. As I stomped away, I could almost hear its mechanical laughter behind me, flashing "HA HA HA" on its electronic display.

But it looked like the five minutes I spent cursing and swearing at the machine paid off. Makoto and I were back on good terms, not that he was particularly annoyed or anything, but I just didn't want things to be awkward anymore.

I sat down on the bed and joined him. "So you're trying out for the volleyball team? How goes it?"

"I'm not very good in sports," he admitted, "so it's been very hard for me. But they said we gotta take part in something for the sports meet, so I chose this. It ain't easy blocking things that are zipping your way at high speed."

"I guess you're not used to it, huh? Otherwise your hand wouldn't look so butchered."

"Probably, but my training partners are all rather brutal. Maybe they were imagining me as their enemy."

"Then for your next volleyball practice session," I joked, "you should try to look less of a Yoshihito Middle School student."

"That's a tall order, Ai." And we both laughed.

Heh… playing hooky was actually kinda fun.

XOXOXOXOXO

Because of the events from that day in the nurse's office, I ended up having more injuries than I started with. My bad ankle had gradually led to several bruises all over my body, a sore head, and even anaemia. There were so many bandages all over my patchwork skin that I vaguely resembled a calico cat. More than once I had to stop Mina from peeling the plasters off my arm.

"But I can't help it," she protested, whining like a spoilt kid. "They're just begging to be taken off. I mean, they're _plasters!_"

Getting so close to Makoto was definitely a good thing, but was this a hollow victory where the bad outweighed the good?

It wouldn't be hard at all to shirk my duties for the sports meet, though, what with my injuries and all. I remembered chuckling to myself in secret and thinking that this was all a blessing in disguise!

But the day before the sports meet, I was miraculously cured of all of my pain, bruises, everything. And as there was no way to fool the PE teachers into thinking that I was still unable to act, so I had little choice but to participate. To make matters worse, I made a fool of myself in the long jump event. I basically re-enacted the somersault-belly flop thing from a week earlier, but this time my injuries were much worse. No broken bones, but now _both_ of my ankles were sprained.

I had to be carried off in a stretcher, enduring the stares from everyone present, inclusive of both athletes and the audience. All six hundred of them. It was the most mortifying thing ever.

Argh! The humanity!

XOXOXOXOXO

"_FORBIDDEN AFTERNOON"  
><em>_Credits_

_CAST  
><em>_Ai as the girl-next-door with a penchant for clumsiness  
><em>_Makoto as the heroine's romantic love interest and a source of nosebleeds  
><em>_Mina as the caring best friend with a habit of cracking terrible jokes  
><em>_Coach as the ruthless PE teacher  
><em>_And various other extras no one cares about_

_THE END_

Why did my imagination even have to have a credits scene?

I was about to mull over the moral of this little autobiographical anecdote when my cell phone rang. I stepped out of the bath but true to my clumsiness, I slipped and fell with a thud. I knew what the moral was, alright: watch your step and be less of a klutz.

Rubbing my sore hip, I fished my phone out of the basket containing my clothes. The caller ID on the display read "Mina".

I answered. "Hello?"

"HEYYY! WHAT'S UP? !" Her cheeriness was overflowing from the phone's speakers as she yelled. I had to hold it away at arm's length or her voice would shatter my eardrums.

"Ah… I'm just chilling in the bath. But keep your voice down, please. My ears are hurting."

"OH, OKAY!" she replied, completely forgetting to reduce her volume. "SO, LIKE, HAVE YOU HEARD THE LATEST NEWS –"

"Mina!" I cut her off before my phone exploded. "Please talk in small letters!"

"WHAT? …oh, alright. small letters. got it."

"Not that small…" Whatever happened to initial capitalization?

"Ah, just listen to me already."

"…Hmmm. So what's this about the latest news?" I wondered what kind of trouble she had gotten herself into now. But that was another story for another day and another chapter. In other words…

_TO BE CONTINUED…_

Not my overactive imagination acting up again! I really have got to watch less of those romantic dramas. And "Forbidden Afternoon" was not getting a sequel. Period!


	9. 9: Secret Love Affair?, Part One

**Moon and Sun (Part 9)  
><strong>by BrDPirateMan

I spoke to Mina over the phone via loudspeaker mode so I could towel off at the same time. "Okay, so what's the big news that's gotten you so excited?"

"There's a video game convention going on at Molco this Sunday," she said. "There's lots of info about new games and such but the main draw is the long-awaited video game adaptation of the Tin Pin Slammurai show. Wanna go?"

"Video games, huh…" I reached into the bathtub and yanked the plug out, watching the water eddy away. "I don't know, Mina… I'm not really a gamer."

"Oh come on! It's Tin Pin! What's not to love about Tin Pin?"

"I used to play it when I was younger, but not anymore. Got tired of it. Was never much of a pro at it anyway. So I don't really see how it concerns me."

"Don't you want to see how it turns out? There's a whole ton of new pins and features and there's a Story Mode and it's even got a cool name! I mean, check it out… what's not to love about a name like _Tin Pin Slammurai: Warriors' Revival On Neo Gaia_? Awesome, huh?"

The title of the game sounded strange already, but when I thought about it a little, it took on a whole new meaning. "_WRONG?_"

"You… don't think it's awesome?"

"Um, no. That's not it. But seriously, what kind of name is that? It's… _WRONG_."

"But I checked my sources. I even went on their official website. I'm positive my information is correct."

"No, no, you're mistaken. I was referring to the game title. It spells out _WRONG_."

"Ai, _you're_ the one who's mistaken. I'm 100% sure my info is correct."

"It's the acronym, Mina," I sighed. "The initials form the word _WRONG_."

She gasped in horror as though she had come across a terrible revelation. "_Tin Pin Slammurai: WRONG?_ Holy smoke, you're right about the _WRONG_ bit! How could the game developers not notice this? What a way to start a franchise… With a name like _WRONG_, what can be _right?_"

My head hurt. "Look, um, I don't think I'm gonna budge, Mina. I don't really care about this new Tin Pin video game… whether it's wrong or right."

"Huh," she shrugged. She sounded disappointed that she was unable to get through to me. "So you don't wanna come?"

"Don't wanna come."

"You sure? Makoto will be there, you know."

"Yeah, I'm sure of – Wait, what?" I grabbed my phone and practically shouted into it. "Did you say that _Makoto_ will be there?"

Her laughter on the other end of the line was that of triumph. "Ha ha! It's so easy to reel you in, Ai. Yes, he's definitely coming."

"Hey, you sure you're not kidding?"

"Relax, girl. I'm telling the truth, cross my heart and hope to burn. Listen, I'm not sure how it all works, but his company is involved in the promotion of _WRONG_. Something to do with the advertising side of things… not too clear about it though. I mean, his company deals with graphic design, right?"

"That's right…"

"Well, some people from his company will be there to oversee matters, and he was chosen to be one of them. He's not actually doing the promoting; he's just making sure that everything is in order. If you like, you can pay him a visit!"

Having dried myself, I started putting on clothes. "Hmmm… He never told me anything about this before…"

"He can't exactly tell everyone that he's involved in the convention. Some kind of weird company policy or something. Only those who have an active part in the convention have a right to know. So it's a secret until the big day."

Something was off… "Then how did you know about this if it's a secret?"

I heard an audible gulp from her, like she had been caught stealing from the cookie jar. "Um… A little bird told me…"

"Makoto told you about it beforehand, huh…"

Sounding uneasy, she admitted, "Well, if you put it that way, y-yeah, he kind of, sort of told me."

So… he told her about something that was not supposed to be made known to public. What was it about this convention that had to be kept under wraps? But more importantly, why would Makoto choose to tell Mina about this but leave me in the dark? I thought Makoto and I were very close friends, so it should be alright for him to share secrets with me. It's not like I had a habit of spilling the beans to everyone.

Then again, he knew that Mina and I were best buddies, so maybe he thought she would tell me eventually and it'd still be okay. Despite this reasoning, I still felt a pang of slight disappointment and a hint of… jealousy? No, that was ridiculous. Makoto and Mina had nothing between them. I had no reason to be jealous of them.

"It's no biggie," I said, trying to mask my true feelings, "so… he'll be there, huh?"

She sounded relieved that I had dropped the matter. "Oh, yes! But behind the scenes, of course. Organising things and stuff."

"Now you got me curious. Sure can't hurt to check things out." I was out of the bathroom, heading back to my room.

"The convention will be a blast, Ai! I'm glad you're going. I'm going too!"

"Alright, it's settled! Let's go together to Molco on Sunday. We'll meet up near that 'phone booth of love' and then we can –"

Mina hurriedly stopped me. "Oh! No wait, I… I wouldn't be able to make it on time."

"Huh?"

"I'll… uh, be a bit late on Sunday. There's something that I need to do. So just go ahead! I'll catch up."

I was puzzled. "You'll be late? A video game enthusiast like you, late for a video game convention? That's unheard of! You're always one of those fanatics who camp outside overnight, dashing inside the moment they're open!"

"'Overnight' is really pushing it… The earliest I've waited is around five in the morning, that's all!"

Five a.m. was early enough already… "Uh-huh. If you're sure you can't make it, then I'll just go in by myself first. Incidentally, why can't you make it anyway?"

She hesitated for a moment. "As for that, well… It's a secret!"

"Huh?" She just threw herself into a more suspicious light than before…

"Don't worry about me!" she chirped cheerily. "I'll be fine. Just don't come too late or you'll miss some of the good stuff!"

Hmmm… So many questions that begged answering… What was Mina hiding? Why did Makoto choose to disclose to her information that was strictly kept under wraps from the public? Why not me as well? He had plenty of chances to tell me. Was it because he knew I wasn't a fan of Tin Pin? I wondered what was up. There was supposed to be nothing going on between them, right?

I was probably feeling paranoid. That had to be it… I was thinking too much into matters that never even existed. I might have become a little possessive of Makoto…

But this was still a very strange affair and I wanted to at least put my heart at ease, so it was time to do a little background research…

XOXOXOXOXO

Since Mina was unwilling to divulge any more information, maybe I could cull some hints from Makoto, so I thought I'd give him a shot.

Classes and cheerleading practice were over for the day and, like many times throughout my school life, he and I would bump into each other at the exact same spot on the street at the exact same time as we were heading back home. And like many times that had happened before, we might take a small detour and chat a bit about stuff. Life was fun like that.

Today was another one of those days. Coffee on a bench near the Statue of Hachiko in weather that was just right… Couldn't be more rejuvenating.

This would have been a fine moment indeed if it weren't for the questions I was itching to ask. Plus, looking at the Statue of Hachiko reminded me of the injury I sustained during the Hachi Fest, still fresh and stinging from a fortnight ago. …Um, the memory of it stung, not the injury.

"Hey Makoto," I began, "I heard that there's a video game convention this Sunday… You going?"

An almost negligible pause ensued, after which he answered haltingly, "Uh… well, no, I'm not."

I hated to admit it, but that was a blatant lie. Mina had claimed that he was helping to organize that very convention, so he had to be there. That he also had a slight uncomfortable fidget to his movements was more than enough to tell me that something was up. It was clear that he was hiding something.

But as glaring as this contradiction was, as much as I wanted to yell "OBJECTION!", I didn't want to put him on defensive mode just yet. It would be so much harder to obtain information from him then. I didn't really have any concrete proof anyway.

I played dumb. "You're not going? Aww, I was hoping to go with someone this Sunday."

He looked like he was about to open his mouth to say something, but shut it quickly. Knowing him, he might have said, "What about Mina?" But he didn't. Hmmm… Why not?

Instead, he replied, "Sorry to hear you got no one to accompany you there, but I've got things to do on that day."

"Work-related, I assume?"

"Something like that," he said, an ambiguous grin on his face. "The company's charged me with taking care of… uh, things."

I knew what exactly those "things" were that he was in charge of. "What kind of things?" I flashed him a charming smile. "If it's something I can handle, maybe I can help?"

He laughed good-naturedly and ruffled my hair affectionately. "No offence, Ai, but I think you wouldn't know how to do the work we're doing. It's a fairly big project, see. There're so many things to do and they're all linked together, and it can get pretty confusing too."

"Is it that bad?"

"I wouldn't call it bad, Ai. Just… a great deal of brain power and skill is needed. You'd be surprised how complex a video game convention about Tin Pin can be."

A pause.

Then Makoto realized that he had slipped up. But it was too late. I heard it. And I was right.

"So you _are_ going to the video game convention this Sunday!" I cried, pouncing on his mistake in a classic "Gotcha!" moment.

"Ah… um… well, gee!" He was at a loss for words, unable to make a complete sentence. He was like one of those so-called witnesses caught lying on the witness stand in court. "Yeah, uh, I guess you're right! But it's nothing serious and –"

I took this chance to press him harder, but remained gentle. "That's just it. You said yourself that it's nothing serious, so why act all hush-hush about it? I mean, if it's no biggie…"

"Alright, Ai, you got me. You got me real good, in fact. But you absolutely have to keep this between you and me because this isn't something we should tell anyone yet."

A preyed animal knows when it has been cornered. Makoto gave in and began a brief explanation of how he was involved with the big show on Sunday. What he said matched up with Mina's story: he was helping out in the managerial side of things and because of the nature of his job, he had to keep it a secret.

I understood it all so far. But where did Mina fit into the picture? He had been gabbing about his duties but never mentioned a thing about her…

I said, "So everyone taking part can't breathe a word about it to anybody?"

"Absolutely not," he said, a slight shudder in his shoulders. "We can't afford to have people asking us left and right about what the latest scoop about Tin Pin is. It'll ruin the suspense! So our lips are sealed." He had just defied his company to sate his friend's curiosity… Perfectly understandable that he would be worried they would give him the pink slip if they found out. Poor guy… I felt bad for him, but I couldn't help it.

"Must it be that way?"

"Yeah… them's the rules."

"Everyone without exception must keep mum about it, huh… Must be hard on you guys, not being able to say a single thing!" I gave a short laugh.

"Make sure you stay silent about this at least until Sunday!" he said in a firm tone that he rarely used. "The last thing I want is you spilling the beans on us. It's already hard enough as is to force Mina to cooperate, and –"

He froze in mid-sentence.

Now that… I did not expect. How did he manage to sell himself out twice in the space of a few minutes?

He was a terrible liar.

My sharp hearing didn't miss a single word. He definitely said something about Mina. The question was, what was it that he didn't want to say?

"Oh! Er… um…" There he went again, going on a string of filler words, "This… is… uh… ahahaha… What did I just say?"

Why was he getting all flustered over something like this? There could only be one reason. That he _was_ up to something and that he was doing it with Mina. Both Makoto and Mina were my best friends and it hurt me to have to dig up the dirt and sleaze on them, but the detective in me was eager and straining to solve the case.

"Makoto," I said carefully, "did you tell Mina to keep quiet about the video game convention?" Yet as gentle as my demeanour was, my heart was the opposite. The suspense was unbearable, and I don't mean that I had to visit the washroom.

"H-Huh? What are you talking about?" said a pale Makoto, denying everything he knew in the hopes that everything would right itself. "I said what? Mina has no part in this… Nope! None at all! Ha ha, sometimes I say the strangest things… It happens, you know?"

Sure… I believe you… You're just digging your grave deeper and deeper…

I had a feeling he wouldn't leak any more information than he could help it. That was when I remembered a tip from Mina herself, something she told me a few months back.

XOXOXOXOXO

Mina and I were hanging around one of the many hallways in school one fine day, chatting about stuff, when suddenly she remembered something.

"Oh yeah, Ai," she said. "Heard of this one? Apparently, there's a way to get guys to do whatever you want, and it works like magic!"

"And what's that?" I wasn't holding my breath, though. "Pray tell."

"It's the oldest trick in the book, and we can easily do it, but it always fell on our blind spots! I can't believe we didn't think of it sooner! It's fabulous! I've even got a name for it: the cunning fox tactic!"

"Running blocks?"

"It's 'cunning fox'! Clean your ears a bit." She outlined to me the basic ideas behind her little guy-manipulating strategy. The twinkle in her eye was especially bright. And you know what? By the time she had finished, even I was smiling in excitement.

"I get it," I said in the end, "Men are naturally weak against women to some degree, so what we're doing is taking advantage of this…"

"All we have to do is act cute," she giggled dementedly, "and the lesser ones among them will keel and obey! And to deal with those who don't fall for that, we just need to make them feel guilty and they'll do it all the same. Guys are so easy like that."

"Hmmm… Are all guys like this, though? Surely there must be some exceptions…"

"If there are exceptions, then they're either incredibly stupid, or you just chatted up a rock that looks like a human."

"If you say so…" I wasn't completely convinced of the statistics…

Just then, some upperclassman sauntered by, heading towards the vending machine. As we absent-mindedly watched him slot in a few coins – and then swear at the offending machine – Mina nudged me in the arm.

"Hey, Ai," she smirked, nodding towards the cursing guy, "wanna see my mad skills in action?"

"You want to show me how it's done? With that guy?"

"Yeah, I'm practically fluent at this, but you're still naïve and green, so watch and learn from the pros, will you?" She gave me a cheeky grin.

"Hey, don't scar him for life, okay?" I retorted.

She bounded over to her victim and slapped him on the arm to get his attention. Taken completely by surprise, he jumped and nearly dropped his coins, fumbling to catch them in mid-air.

And, with girlish charm and friendliness overflowing like crazy, Mina chirped, "Hi!"

The upperclassman, eyeing her suspiciously, spoke with great caution, "Um… D-Do I know you?"

Still smiling, Mina answered, "We see each other all the time on campus! Don't you recognize me?"

The hapless guy, still dazed from what was happening to him, took a moment to think before finally replying as politely as possible, "I-I'm afraid not… This is the first time I've seen you."

"Oh come on, you're just shy. Right? It's so cute how you're trying to act cool and cover it up."

The upperclassman blushed a bit but remained cautious. "Um, no… I really don't know who you are."

"Wh-Wh-What?" Mina's voice quavered like she was about to cry. Upon seeing this, the guy cringed and turned pale, unsure of what to do next. Boy, she really was a good actress to be able to put guys in a spot!

"H-How could you not know who I am?" she sniffled convincingly, one hand over her "broken" heart. "In the last sports meet, I was in the audience, cheering you on! I've become quite a big fan of yours, you know! My admiration for you hasn't changed one bit since then!" What a liar! She never knew he even existed before today!

"I… Oh… I didn't know that…" mumbled the upperclassman, scratching the back of his head uneasily, probably wondering how the heck he got into this mess in the first place. "All I wanted was a can of juice and this happens!" he must have been thinking.

"I-It's alright… I understand…" Mina started to turn away, looking dejected. "This is the sad fate of a girl whom no one even wants to take a second glance at. And… And I guess I could _**buy myself some coffee**_ to drown my sorrows, but I realized I have no money left, so this is a sad state of affairs I'm in… Oh well." She sighed and trudged away slowly.

"W-Wait!" the guy cried out to her. I watched, unable to believe what I was seeing, as he hurriedly jammed in some more coins into the vending machine. The moment it coughed up his drink he snatched it up from the inner tray and shoved it into Mina's hands. She looked up at him with traces of tears in her eyes as he said, "I'm sorry… I guess I wasn't observant enough. I know this can't make up for anything, but… please take it."

She looked at the can in her hand. "You mean it? You're buying this for me?"

He nodded.

"Why, this is exactly what I wanted!" she said with an air of victory.

"I… I beg your pardon?"

"Um… I mean…" Mina quickly switched back to sad girl mode. "Why, th-that's… very kind of you…"

"Hey, uh, I gotta go. Maybe we'll bump into each other again."

"Thanks…" She watched him go off somewhere. When he was safely out of earshot, she broke into a wicked grin and said, "Did you see that, Ai?"

"Yeah, I saw it all," I laughed. "Wasn't that a bit… over-the-top, though?"

"Nothing's over-the-top when you want to get something for free!" she chuckled, popping open her ill-gotten bounty. In one long continuous swig the can was fully emptied into her stomach and she tossed it into the nearby dustbin.

"I was under the impression that you have to imply and be discreet about what you want the other guy to do. But you were being painfully obvious, weren't you, Mina?"

"Huh? Obvious?"

"If talking in _italics_ and **bold print** isn't obvious enough, I don't know what is. Didn't it look more like you were emphasizing it instead?"

"That's part of the secret, Ai," she grinned, "He picked up on it, right? If he did, that's all that matters. See, that whole _**subtle emphasis**_ thing is the core element of the cunning fox tactic. Do you get my drift?"

"Uh-huh, I hear you. The fact that your victim was a bit of a dummy kind of helped move things along, though… So I wonder if this can actually apply to _**smart**_ people."

"Relax. Smart or no, they're all the same! A woman's charm is a powerful thing, Ai… we just have to use it the _**right way!**_"

"Sure, but… c-could we stop talking _**like this?**_ It's getting kind of silly, you know."

"Ha ha, sorry, I got _**carried away**_." Dear, dear…

"Well, it's worth a try someday, I'll have to admit. This could be really useful in the right circumstances. So, thanks for the info."

"Great!" said a cheery Mina, "Glad you like it!" To my confusion, she had one hand on her hip and the palm of the other one extended towards me in a beckoning fashion. An even wider grin graced her lips. "Now come on, Ai. I expect some form of payment! My advice doesn't come cheap, or free for that matter!"

I groaned, "You'd better be joking. You just had coffee, you know."

"Oh, you're broke? That's okay!" she chirped, "Help do my homework for me and we're even –"

"No."

Her face fell and assumed a sad expression. She moved in real close to me, and I was shocked by this sudden action. Her shoulders were trembling and she even managed to squeeze a tear out of her eyes.

I recoiled, my hair standing on end. "Wh-What is it now?" Her hand was tugging on the sleeve of my uniform and it chilled me to the bone.

"Ai…" she sniffled, "A-Am I not your best friend? After all the sacrifices I made for you… you wouldn't… you wouldn't help me? I thought we – HNGH!"

My trademark karate chop move was stuck on her head. "D-Don't ever use that trick on me when you know darn well we're both girls! You numbskull!"

"That's gratitude for you…" she whimpered.

XOXOXOXOXO

Ugh… Mina… You… You really have to use your common sense a bit more…

Allow me to bring you back to the present, where I was currently frustrated that Makoto chose to exercise his right to remain silent. Now was the time to utilize what Mina taught me. The cunning fox tactic. Would it work as seamlessly as the day she sponged free coffee off of that nameless unfortunate upperclassman? We would see…

Somewhere at the back of my mind, I couldn't help thinking how weird this would be, but I also had one major thought: "Whatever, let's do this."

I cleared my throat and my voice assumed a soft tone. "Makoto…"

"Ai? What are you doing?" He recoiled slightly when I edged closer, gazing straight into his eyes. Looking at his handsome face at such close proximity was so dizzyingly good but the job had to be done.

I tried to sound hurt. "M-Makoto, what's with you? Do you… hate me?"

Makoto spluttered, "What are you talking about? Of course not! Why would I?"

"Because… you wouldn't tell me what I want to know… It's like you don't trust me anymore…"

"I-It's nothing like that at all! It's… It's just that these are company secrets and I can't talk about them freely…"

"But you could tell Mina… You told her to stay silent about it too. You told her, didn't you?"

"Um…" Makoto was sweating bullets. My dewy eyes riveted on his person certainly weren't making his day. "Th-This is an awfully strange development, eh?"

"Makoto, did you tell her?" I sniffled, or at least tried to. "Did you?" I wanted to shed a tear or two to improve the authenticity of my little act, but darn it, my tear ducts just wouldn't obey. How could Mina do it? I settled for clutching the cuff of his sleeve gently, like a child clinging to her mother.

"Ai… Wh-Why are you so interested in this anyway –"

"Did you?"

The hairs on his head looked about ready to split. He was growing uncomfortable really quickly and I was sure that more than anything he was hoping for a miracle to whisk him safely away from his inescapable predicament. Sorry to put you on the spot like that, Makoto… I didn't want to have to do this either, but I had my reasons.

Eventually, he cracked, deflating with a sigh. "Alright, I'll admit it. I did tell Mina about the video game convention. I did tell her beforehand, and by the looks of it, she must have told you about it too."

"Yeah, she did." Purely by accident, though.

"Did she say anything else?" he asked with some urgency.

"No…"

"Oh, good." He relaxed a little.

"But… But…! Why could you tell her… but not me?" That was the burning question that needed answering. And not a moment too soon. "Makoto, do you not… trust me? Your closest friend?" I tugged at his sleeve a little more and bit my lip, hoping to induce as much guilt as I could.

"I… Uh… It's really complicated to explain…" he said, his skin turning a resplendent bright red. "Suffice it to say that it's not convenient to talk about it now. I can see you're really dying to know everything, but can you wait till Sunday? I'll tell you more when it's finally safe for the beans to be spilled."

I wanted to know now! But Makoto had struck an acceptable deal. I wouldn't be satisfied until I knew the whole story and tied up all the loose ends, and though impatient as I was, it wouldn't be fair to keep pestering him about this matter any further. So I let it drop.

"O-Only if you promise…" I said softly, "You promise to tell me everything, right? Is that a promise?"

"Yes!" he said a little too loudly. "A promise! Now, please don't ask about it anymore right now! And definitely not with those puppy eyes!"

As Makoto wiped his sweaty forehead, I began to formulate my next course of action. If he wouldn't talk until Sunday came round, then in the meantime it was up to me to try my luck once more with Mina. It would seem unlikely that she would talk any more than she already let on, but it was worth another try. The thing was, I couldn't use the cunning fox tactic on her. If there was anything that would work on her, it was bribery, but I wasn't keen on doing her homework.

Then, out of the blue, I suddenly remembered something. If Makoto could divulge secret information to Mina, then _what was their true relation to each other?_

Don't tell me they were dating behind my back! …Well, "behind my back" wasn't accurate, since Makoto and I weren't going out in the first place, but still…!

Now this… I had to find out, by hook or by crook. And I couldn't wait till Sunday.

"Makoto," I began slowly, "what do you think of Mina?"

"Huh?" Makoto looked too alarmed. "What do you mean?"

"I was just curious to know if you, uh, like Mina?"

"Wh-What's this about? Th-This is kinda sudden…"

"It's a perfectly legitimate question," I countered, ever so gently, "so, um, do you like her or…"

He seemed to be a little flustered. It wasn't too obvious, but a good number of things clued me in: from his light trembling to the subtle tensing of his fingers on his cup of coffee. If he didn't like Mina in that way, his nerves wouldn't be so rattled. But I could tell he didn't like the direction our little conversation was going.

"Er, she's okay, I guess," he said slowly, as though picking his words deliberately. "A good friend, but I'm not interested in her in, say, a romantic sense…"

"So it's not like you're more interested in her than me, right?"

…Huh?

Makoto's eyes widened. What did I just say? Oh shoot! I got careless!

He stared at me quizzically, eyebrows raised. "C-Come again?"

"N-No! Um, that's not what I wanted to say! I just – ow!"

"Ai?"

"I'm thowwy! Ah… Ah bit my thongue." The coppery taste of blood tainted my taste buds. Talk about a true slip of the tongue… "But ith no beeg deal – "

"What? You bit your tongue?" He used one hand to cup my cheek in genuine concern, but it made my skin prickle for obvious reasons. "Will you be alri– "

"AAAH!"

"Whuh?" He recoiled like he had touched a bare wire. The surrounding passersby jumped similarly, staring in shock.

I was panicking from the soft touch of his fingertips on my face, and tried to think of an excuse to leave, but it was hastily and haphazardly cobbled together. "Ah, um… Makoto, I gotta go! I… I just remembered I've got a meeting to attend!"

"Huh? Aren't you done for the day?"

"I-It's an emergency cheerleaders' meeting!" I spluttered. "There are some things we gotta take care of! Like new uniforms and equipment and… yeah, that stuff! So I'll see you later!" I unceremoniously cradled my school briefcase in my arms, desperate to remove myself from this situation. As I took two steps away, he called out to me.

"Wait!" he hollered, holding up my untouched cup of coffee, "You forgot about this!"

"I-It's okay! I really, really have to hurry! Bye!" Without waiting for another reply I ran off as swiftly as my legs could carry me.

I didn't know how long I took to get back home but with the way I was running it felt like all of ten seconds.

Back in the safety of my room at last. I leaned against the door, light-headed. My face was still glowing red, like a traffic light. "I can't believe I actually said that in front of him!" My hands were trembling viciously as I slid down the whole length of the door, plopping onto the floor.

I couldn't dispute what had just happened. He had heard my slip of the tongue as clear as crystal. My clumsiness had reared its ugly head yet again… and oh, how I hated it! I hung my head as I sat there, scrunched up in a ball. What should I do? What would he think of me? What if he thought I was weird?

What an idiot I was! An idiot! It was after a good deal of brain-racking and banging my head on the wall to spite myself for my awful mistake that I came to a decision. Perhaps it was better to just leave the whole matter be. If I said anything more, I might weird him out more than I already did.

"Looks like I'll have to make do with what Mina can tell me. I'll need, like, a lot of luck for that…" And with that I spent the rest of the night tending to my bloodied forehead.

"Ow!" Poor me…

XOXOXOXOXO

At school the next day, the first thing Mina noticed was the bandages haphazardly strung around my head. In fact, much to my horror, everyone noticed. How could they not?

"Um, Ai?" she asked, worried. "Wh-What happened to you? You look terrible."

"I'm fine, Mina. I just… tripped and fell on my head."

"Really? That's awful! I gotta say though… for someone who just had a small accident, you look more like you repeatedly banged your head against the wall last night… But hey, it's just a wild guess."

"Uh…" I broke out in cold sweat for a second. How could she be so accurate for a "wild guess"? Anyway, it was time for a friendly little interrogation…

Mina was perching on her desk, which was next to mine, her legs swinging to and fro in mid-air. I slumped down at my seat, asking her, "Hey, Mina, is there any guy whom you like?"

"Huh? Hey!" Mina motioned me to lower my voice. "Not so loud! There're people around, you know."

"Sorry… so, uh, like I was saying, there must be a guy you like, right?" To reduce the risk of suspicion, I acted like this was a daily conversation. Nice and normal.

The tiniest of blushes graced her cheeks. "Hee hee! Right on," she giggled. "I think he's really cool. And the best part is, he's coming to this Sunday's video game convention. Since I'm gonna be there too, you can imagine how excited I am! It's my best chance to meet him!"

Oh no, it couldn't be Makoto, could it? "Say, who's this dream guy of yours, anyway?" The trepidation was… how should I best describe it? It was like I was trying to cross a deep chasm, and the only way to do it was with a thin rickety bridge. There was no way to know when it would collapse under my feet and leave me to plummet to the bottom. And at the bottom, waiting like a hungry shark… was Eiji Oji, lecherous as ever. It was worse than death! The feeling was that intense.

Her smile took on a sly, secretive air. "Wouldn't you like to know…?"

"Aww, c'mon Mina!" I pouted. "You already know who I like… It can't hurt for you to spill the beans on who you're going after."

"No, not yet! There's no suspense that way!" Hello? There was _too much_ suspense already!

"Then at least drop a hint or something!"

"Well, okay, I guess that's fair enough…"

I waited with bated breath. What lead would she give me?

She spoke up, "If you must know, his name has the letter 'K' in it…"

"The letter 'K'? Is that the first letter of his name, or –"

"Whoop! Sorry, Ai, that's all I'll tell… until the time is right. You'll have to wait!"

Rrgh! I wanted to wring her like a towel and squeeze the answers out of her. That could hardly be called a hint at all! There were so many people out there with 'K' in their name… How was I supposed to find a connection this way?

Wait a minute… Makoto's name has a 'K' in it!

"Mina! Is it Makoto? Tell me it's not Makoto… Tell me it's not him!" …That's what I would have liked to say, but no… I had to restrain my crazy side.

Okay, calm down, Ai… I couldn't get any firm results like this the way things were going… But what if I were to approach the matter from another angle? Hmmm… The question to ask wasn't "Might Makoto be Mina's secret love interest?" because it was too direct. The question should be, "What does Mina think about Makoto?" If I thought about it this way, then maybe I might just find myself a new hint or two!

With a good-natured tone I huffed, "Boo! No fair. You wouldn't tell me even if I buy you a week's supply of ramen?"

She perked up. "Y-You will?"

"Uh… no. Just… kidding. Stop drooling on your desk, please."

"Man… Don't get my hopes up like that!"

We couldn't talk anymore when classes began for the day so I thought I'd try again during lunch. So in the canteen, I grilled Mina again, albeit in the gentlest possible way. If only I could just keep my gag reflex at bay for even a few minutes… The rice… it smelt like it had been laced with insecticide… The _rice!_ Such a simple thing and they could screw it up. But anyway…

"Hey, Mina, mind if I ask you a question?"

"Mmm?" She was busy picking unidentified objects from her noodles.

"What do you think of Makoto?"

She looked up. The arched eyebrow suggested confusion. "Huh?"

"You know, like… do you think he's good-looking, or easy to talk to, or –"

"Why do you ask?"

"Oh, nothing… just curious, you know? It's no big deal."

I could tell she wasn't sure what to make of my question, so she took it slow and cautious. "Um… I don't know what's going on. But if you must ask me, and I'm speaking from a completely unbiased and uninfluenced viewpoint, and notwithstanding the fact that I already have someone I like…" – Wow, she sure covered all her bases. – "…I gotta say, yeah, he is kinda cute."

And to that she added hastily, "But I'm not interested in him at all, Ai! Like I said, I already have someone on my mind! He's yours for the taking anyway."

Hmmm… She actually found Makoto attractive. This couldn't be good for me… Mina was pretty, easy to like, and popular with the guys. What's to say that she didn't already steal Makoto's heart, even if it may have been indirect and she didn't put in any effort? Did my best friend, the gallant gal pal who provided me with unending support, just become my greatest competition? What an ironic twist of fate…

Mina peered into my face. "Ai? Y-You don't look so good."

"Oh! It's just the soup!" I lied, realizing that I had been totally preoccupied with my thoughts earlier. "It… It tastes terrible."

"I know, right?" she sighed, stirring her soup absent-mindedly with a spoon. "Apparently the chefs here like to put flies in our soup and then some."

"Ugh! Mina, how many times do I have to tell you not to joke like that while we're eating?"

She had a pained look on her face. "Is it really not… funny at all?"

"Of course not! Idiot!" Did she not know the meaning of the word "discretion"?

XOXOXOXOXO

The result of all that investigating and utilizing the so-called "cunning fox" tactic was… nothing. I expected as much anyway. But… Makoto and Mina… together? What an unsettling thought.

Why couldn't I stop thinking about them for just one second? This matter was important to me, but it was also really tiring! Maybe I should indulge myself in a burger and some OJ to take my mind off of things. OJ always calms my senses. There was a fast-food joint which was a mere minute's walk away, so off I went.

However, before I even entered, through the large window I saw this thoroughly shocking sight.

Believe it or not, Makoto was having tea with someone. And that someone was Mina.

I almost jumped at the sight of them. At first I thought I was mistaken, but the more I stared the more convinced I was that it was indeed them.

They were all smiles and happiness and occasionally they would laugh. They seemed to be having quite a bit of fun.

What was going on?

What were they doing going on a _date?_


	10. 10: Secret Love Affair?, Part Two

**Moon and Sun (Part 10)  
><strong>by BrDPirateMan

The two people whom I least expected to like each other were spending time together in a fast-food restaurant.

No matter how many times I pinched myself, I wasn't dreaming and the people whom I saw were really Makoto and Mina. Eating burgers together, sipping coke and having a great deal of fun. _Smiling_.

I was so overwhelmed that I didn't know how to react. What were they doing exactly? Was this a… a _date? !_ The guy of my dreams and my best friend… on a date together? It couldn't be!

I avoided the restaurant altogether and slunk off some distance away near some benches – conveniently hidden behind some urban greenery – to spy on them. I stationed myself at a bench that was hidden from view by some of the larger bushes and from there I could watch in relative peace.

"What in the world is going on here?" I muttered to myself. Why would my best friend Mina, who knew fully well about my romantic inclinations towards Makoto, go and have a date with him? And where did Makoto's feelings lie? Were they in a secret relationship?

Makoto took something out of his briefcase and laid it on the table. He pointed at it in what looked like several places, and she nodded as though he was explaining something and she understood. It almost looked like he was tutoring her, but I doubted it. If only I could at least hear what they were talking about. I felt like some private investigator working in a seedy district, digging out the dirt and sleaze from my mark.

Suddenly I felt the hair at the back of my neck stand on end. There was someone behind me… I just knew there was. I spun round to face the unwelcome party, and when I saw the person in question, the word "unwelcome" was a highly operative word indeed.

"Eiji!" I shrieked, recoiling in my seat. "You! D-Don't sneak up on me like that!"

The Prince of Ennui, playboy extraordinaire, was standing before me with a look of both confusion and amusement on his face. "Whoa now… What's my little angel doing in a place like this?"

Ugh! And this hateful idiot had to come at such a crucial time. "Leave me alone," I snapped. "I'm busy."

Much to my annoyance, Eiji helped himself to the bench, sitting next to me. With that trademark flirty attitude, he said, "What are you looking at that's more interesting than me? You're going to ruin your poor backbone sitting on a bench with your head facing the other way. So young and pretty and already your spine would be deliciously twisted… But don't worry, I'll be your lovin' chiropractor, ready to –"

"Look, I don't have time to deal with you right now, Eiji. This is important. Now leave."

He let out an overly-dramatic sigh. Oh no, I knew where this was going with poetry-infatuated Eiji Oji. "You wound me so, my fair maiden. Ah… the cruel words of a fresh rose. Behind your porcelain beauty lies a bed of thorns, lying in wait to shred and maul –"

"Will you shut it? ! I need to see what Makoto and Mina are up to!"

His tone immediately changed upon hearing his friend's name. "What about Mick?" Gripped by curiosity, he looked over the bushes hiding us and squinted for a better view. "Ah… there he is. Wonder what he's doing with ol' Mina, though."

"That's what I wanna know!"

There was a slight snicker from him. "Ai… are you, by any chance, jealous?"

I gasped upon hearing that and glared at him. In heavy denial I said, "No! Of course not! I'm just curious, okay? !"

"Oh yes," jabbed Eiji knowingly, "It's the whole truth, isn't it?"

"What are you going on about? ! Isn't it normal for me to show concern for what my friend does? !"

"Yeah… only it doesn't look normal… More like you're stalking."

"Mmph!" He got me good there. What I was doing _was_ like stalking. I had no counter-argument to that. "Just let me be. I need to see what the deal is with them."

Mina was saying something, and Makoto nodded in response. For a while nothing noteworthy happened; it was just them talking. In the meantime, Eiji was harassing me and not only did it look like he didn't want to stop, but he was also clearly enjoying it. It was incredibly annoying.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," he quipped with a chuckle.

"Shut up!"

"Ah… what is it about the idiosyncrasies of people that make them falter? Love is ever-changing, twisting and branching and never staying still…"

"If you don't zip your trap this instant, your _neck_ is what I'm gonna twist!"

"Shouldn't you get closer? There's only so much you can do from this distance. You wouldn't make a good stalker like this…"

"I'm not stalking! And this is your absolute final warning before you die, Eiji… SHUT UP!" I glared at him with death in my eyes, hand poised to strike him down in a blazing karate chop.

"Yes, I promise, ma'am." He held up his hands to shield himself, but he was still smiling. That idiot… I could rip him to ribbons right now…

Barely twenty seconds had gone by before he broke that very promise and spoke again.

"Ai, I just thought of something," chuckled Eiji mischievously, "If it turns out Mick's not available, will you go out with me?"

"Never!" I couldn't believe the nerve of this guy!

"Really? You seem to have your mind made up. Too bad… you wouldn't regret it, you know. Going out is a whole lot more fun than sitting here spying on – GAH!"

To his head I dealt a solid blow, a karate chop that could break steel. Smoke was billowing from his injury as he lay slumped over the bench, his body still and lifeless.

"You deserve it!" I cared not that he was probably unconscious and couldn't hear me. Hitting him felt awfully good. Feeling satisfied, I looked back to the restaurant window. Nothing had changed. Makoto and Mina were still talking. Whatever they were discussing must have been really important.

Five minutes passed and still there was nothing. They were still there. And needless to say, I had no clue about what they were talking about. As much as I wanted to stay on and keep watching, I had grown tired. This was turning into a monumental waste of time.

"Argh… I'm not going anywhere like this." I finally gave up and sat with my back towards them. I hugged my knees close to my chest, wrapped my arms around my upright legs and hung my head sulkily, letting a sigh of dismay escape from my lips. It hurt to see the guy I loved spending time alone with someone else, and that other person was my best friend of all people!

A million thoughts were going through my head.

Was Mina finally fed up with me dithering about Makoto all the time? She had been trying her best to get us together, but it was always because of me getting cold feet or some other self-made mishap that none of her plans came to fruition. So did she do this to put an end to the whole matter? Did Makoto think that she was cooler to hang out with? As terrible as her comedic talent was, there was a part of it that was undeniably charming and endearing. Maybe Makoto was drawn to her because of that? I know I wasn't much of a comedian myself, but…

Perhaps more worrying was… Could it be that Makoto was tired of me? Did he not… like me anymore?

Eiji had recovered and was rubbing his sore head. I took no heed to his groaning, completely consumed in my little world. But he quickly noticed how glum I was looking.

He nudged my arm to get my attention. His voice had the slightest bit of concern, a first for The Playboy Prince. "Those are some massive grey clouds hanging above your head."

I didn't say anything.

He snuck a quick look at the restaurant before turning back to me. "You worried that Mick might be dating someone else? Not that I'd be surprised, but… are you?"

There was no reply from me. What should I say anyway? If I denied it, he would make fun of me. And as much as I wanted to grind this guy's face into the pavement, I had no heart to. I didn't feel like doing anything except mull over what I saw and what it could mean.

Apparently, Eiji sensed that I wasn't going to talk. Unlike his usual behaviour, though, he didn't start annoying me on purpose. He just clammed up. I guess there's no fun picking on someone who's already feeling down. We just sat there on the bench, silent as the wind.

"Aww, Ai, don't be like this," said Eiji after a while. "Here, let me give you a big hug and everything will be alri –"

WHACK!

Without even glancing at him I had delivered a karate chop to his face. "Can't you get your hands off of me for even one minute? !"

"Ow… So you're alive!" He was laughing but the words were coming out all funny and nasal because of his injured nose. "You look cute when you're mad but get mad too much and it ain't good for your complexion."

"_You're_ no good for my complexion!" I fumed. "Every time I see you I feel like I've aged 50 years!"

"Oh dear, that can't be good," he breathed, pretending to be shocked. "And you've met me several times by now, so… I guess learning to grow old gracefully is the only option left to you at this stage."

"…You need to learn to shut up at the right times." I raised my hand threateningly, making him wince. His smile never left though.

I sighed and went back to being depressed. There had been plenty of chances for me to confess to Makoto, but I never did, so it was not my place to complain that he was having time alone with another girl. But… what disturbed me greatly was why Mina would go out with him when she knew how much I loved him. Why? Why would she take him away from me? The more I thought of it, the greater my resentment became, and I couldn't stand it. I didn't want to suspect my best friend of monkey business, and now look…

"Why don't you ask them if you're so curious, Ms Nancy-Drew-of-Shibuya?" he asked absent-mindedly.

"You know I can't," I replied. "It's a sensitive matter. I can't just go up to them and ask whether they're going out. That's ridiculous."

Then he started chuckling. "Heh, you're right about that. Oh, I know! How about using Reaper Creeper? I'm sure that'd help!" He was smiling broadly, and I wanted nothing more than to duct tape that big mouth of –

Wait a minute… What did he say just now? …Of course! Why didn't I think of that sooner? !

"That's it!" I cried, suddenly perking up.

"That's what?"

"It's a great idea, Eiji. If I use Reaper Creeper, I should be able to get the answers I so sorely need! It's the best way there is to get information without having to resort to awkward tactics!"

Reaper Creeper is a close relative of the famous Ouija board, and much like it, it can supposedly summon spirits to our plane so that they may answer any questions we have. All you needed was the special Reaper Creeper sheet and a ten-yen coin for the spirit – or Reaper – to possess. Place the coin on the sheet, touch it lightly with your finger, ask away and the coin will mysteriously move about on its own, heading to any one of three symbols printed on the sheet which denoted answers of "yes", "no" and "neither". If you see it in action, it's kinda spooky. But it's a fun kind of spooky. Hard to explain.

I remember tinkering around with it when I was younger. Mina and I, along with some other gal pals… we would huddle together in the oppressive darkness of a bedroom at someone's house, illuminated only by the glow of a single light bulb… okay, admittedly, that light bulb happened to be a fluorescent tube and it was as bright as day, but who cares.

We would ask the Reaper about whether our friend had a crush on this guy, or whether a rumour about a forbidden teacher-student romance was true, and so on and so forth. On hindsight, the Reaper may have largely ignored us – that coin almost always stayed still – but the majority of the fun was spent on crafting all kinds of silly questions, never mind if they went unheeded. If there was an atmosphere to speak of, it was the atmosphere of uproarious laughter. Reaper Creeper was an awesome friendship-bonding tool. Those were some good times…

"Um…" he mumbled, scratching his head, "I was just joking, you know… about the whole Reaper Creeper thing."

Ignoring him, I jumped to my feet and, bursting with excitement. "Alright, I'm on this!" Then I ran off in the general direction of Dogenzaka to buy a Reaper Creeper set from one of the obscure sundry stores around there.

"Hey, hey… Ai, are you listening? !"

XOXOXOXOXO

Now that I was the proud owner of a brand new Reaper Creeper set, everything was ready. I found myself a nice outdoor seat at a small quaint café, and as a bonus, there weren't many people around. I could perform the ritual in total comfort. Heck, I even had a cup of tea. And a salty croissant.

There was just one thing that didn't fit into this otherwise perfect picture, though.

"Eiji," I grumbled, "did you _have_ to tag along? Did you _have_ to? !" More than the usual amount of emphasis was placed on the word "have".

"What can I say…" he sighed, drawing a hand across his forehead vainly, "I'm completely entranced by you. You and your little dastardly scheme… Ah… evil can be so beautiful."

"It's not dastardly, you twit. I just want the Reaper to answer some questions for me. But I need to be at peace so I can concentrate. And what you're doing right now… is stressing me out." To drive my point home, I trained on him a glare powerful enough to melt metal. But it was all to no avail. He didn't budge from his seat across me.

"Come on, don't be so mean. I haven't played Reaper Creeper in my whole life, and I really want to try it out at least once. Are you really going to deprive your poor friend of this rare opportunity?"

I let out a guttural sound of great annoyance. He wasn't going to leave even if I forced him, so I didn't have much of a choice than to let him have his way. "Fine, fine. If you really must, you can join. Just don't mess things up, okay?"

"Sure! If the Reaper runs amok, I'll be sure to offer you as a sacrifice to appease it."

"Th-That's not funny!"

"Anyway, let's get started already, huh?" he said, smiling and looking quite interested, "I've got an appointment in half an hour."

The board was already laid out on the table, with the coin sitting in the middle. The three printed symbols were arranged in a large triangular formation. There was White which signified "yes", Black for "no", and a red "Gate" symbol which stood for "neither". The possessed coin would move to any one of these symbols to answer our questions, so it made sense to ask only yes-or-no questions. Anything else wouldn't yield a meaningful result.

"Well, here goes," I said, "First I have to summon the Reaper."

"Does it involve blood-letting?" Eiji asked carelessly.

"No, now shut up and let me do this thing! Geez!"

Both of us lightly placed our index fingers on the coin. I cleared my throat, steeled my nerves, and spoke, "Reaper… Creeper… Before we get in much deeper… If you're here all right, go to White."

For a few moments the coin was motionless. Neither of us said a thing, awaiting the arrival of the Reaper. Just when Eiji was about to open his mouth to deliver some impolite comment, the coin actually moved. My skin was prickling with goosebumps. It had been a while since the last Creeping, and coming into contact with an actual spirit put me in a state of shock and awe. Even Eiji was rendered speechless as his eyes were riveted onto the slowly crawling coin.

We were so preoccupied with it that it was only after it stopped that we noticed what symbol it was now sitting on.

Black?

Funny… I had specifically asked it to go to White to confirm its presence… and now it was on Black, which means "no". The Reaper was here with us alright, but why it chose to deny that was beyond me. I mean, it already gave the game away…

"You sure you did it right, Ai?" asked Eiji, looking completely confused, but no less fascinated.

"Uh-huh… You didn't push the coin yourself, did you?"

"No, why would I?"

"Doesn't matter now, I guess. At least we know that the Reaper's here." That was strange, I'd admit…

"Whoa… creepy. Hmmm…" He stroked his chin and started musing. "I wonder what caused its death… Ghosts used to be people at some point, right? Maybe a car accident… or murder… or one of those messed-up double suicides between lovers… Like, maybe they agreed to slit their wrists at the exact same time…"

"Eew! Quit being so morbid and let's move on."

The time for questions had come. The moment of truth! So after gathering enough courage and a deep breath, I voiced my first query. "Might Mina think that Makoto is cute?"

Eiji raised an eyebrow at my question, but said nothing. As though the Reaper was taking time to think, the coin took a few seconds to get moving again. We watched it shift to White.

"Th-That means yes," I gulped. "So Mina thinks Makoto is… cute?"

Eiji cut in quickly. "Well, I'm sure a lot of girls would think that Mick is hot. It's nothing to be surprised about because he's good-looking. But not as good-looking as me, of course!"

So there was a chance that Mina might have feelings for Makoto. Since I was already here, I might as well ask about that and get it over with. After the coin was returned to its starting point, I started once more.

"Reaper… Creeper… If Mina likes Makoto, go to White."

With painful slowness, the coin scratched its way across the sheet towards… White? !

"She…" I couldn't believe my eyes. "She likes him after all? !"

Eiji was waving his head in front of my face, as though to wake me from my daze. "Um, Ai… You okay? You look pale for someone who's merely 'curious'…"

This was a horrible revelation… Never once did I think that she might harbour romantic feelings for Makoto. She knew I was in love with him, so I was confident that even though she was a good friend of his, she wouldn't actually make a move on him. Now I knew better. The closest ally may turn out to be the most formidable opponent.

"Ai, if you're busy spacing out," came Eiji's playful voice, "then you wouldn't mind if I ask some questions of my own, would you?"

"Huh?"

"Hey Reaper! Does Ai think I'm hot?"

"Wh-What? !"

Much to my horror, the coin stirred beneath our fingertips. Did spirits actually respond to all kinds of questions, no matter how stupid they may be? ! And to make matters worse, it was… No, stop! Reaper, stop it! Don't move towards –

"White!" said Eiji. "Oh, Ai… No matter how well you bury those feelings for me, the Reaper knows!" And with that he let out a victorious, exaggerated laugh.

"Shut up!" I growled, my face burning up. "That's all a lie! The Reaper is messing around with me! And the way you address it is all wrong too!" There was absolutely no way I could like this pervert! Even if all the men in the world except him vanished, I still wouldn't like him! And yet, this Reaper… What in blazes was wrong with it? !

"The Reaper never lies, Ai… You know that the best. Heh."

"Rrgh!"

"Never would've thought Reaper Creeper would be this much fun! But it's your turn, I guess. Go on, ask any question about me. You know you want to."

Through gritted teeth I growled, "Then how about 'Will Eiji Oji meet a gruesome death today? !'"

He wasn't the least fazed. "Oh, such cruelty. But that's alright. This side of you is cute too."

"Sh-Shut up…" Despite myself, I was growing even redder. Curse this idiot and his way with words… "Whatever… Next question!"

I took deep breaths to clear my mind, envisioning in my mind's eye a serene forest with a clear blue waterfall and Eiji drowning in it. That was very relaxing to think about… In any case, now that I knew where Mina's feelings lay, I should find out more about Makoto next. I was hoping that the whole thing would be a one-sided affair, but my gut feeling told me it wouldn't be so easy.

"Reaper… Creeper… If Makoto is in love with a girl and it's Mina, go to White."

"That's really specific, Ai," commented Eiji. I ignored him.

We waited with bated breaths for the Reaper's response. What seemed like a great many years went by and I could have sworn we were covered in cobwebs by the time the coin eventually moved. I couldn't bear to watch, though… it was like torture, the death of a four-year dream in the making, as it made its slow journey towards its chosen answer. My eyes instinctively squeezed shut, unwilling to look. I regretted asking that question but it was too late. I just knew it would be White.

The coin stopped, and my own heart stopped for a few seconds. This was it…

"Eiji," I stammered, my eyes still closed, "Where's the coin at?"

"Why don't you open your eyes and take a look?" he chuckled.

"This isn't something to laugh at!" I snapped, suddenly feeling very weak and vulnerable. "Just answer me!"

"Okay, okay, I hear ya. Um… This is a weird one… It's not White or Black…"

"Huh?"

I looked. The coin had positioned itself on top of the "Gate" symbol. But this was a baffling piece of news, because it means "neither". What kind of answer was that? I had no idea of what it could mean. Was there a reason the Reaper chose this? More importantly, did this Reaper even know how to Creep in the first place? Nothing so far made much sense!

I scratched my head in puzzlement. "What's this supposed to mean? I asked if Makoto has a girl he likes and if it's Mina, and… Does Makoto indeed love a girl, but it's not Mina?"

Eiji offered up his own explanation, though it was more like a joke than anything. "Or does Makoto like Mina, but she's actually a boy?"

"Eiji, that's stupid."

At least I was spared the shock of what the truth may have been… for now. Sooner or later I would have to face it, though.

With a light confused frown, Eiji said, "Hey, Ai, I get the distinct feeling the Reaper is choosing answers at random."

"For once, I actually agree with you." Why else would it make its presence known with "Black", indicate that I liked Eiji, and answer my last query with "neither"? Was this Reaper Creeper set… broken? Did I buy a bogus product? But that's ridiculous… Spirits don't come with expiry dates! Either way, it looked like I wouldn't be able to depend on it for solid answers. Time to wrap it up.

But Eiji obviously wasn't done having fun with it. It was miraculous how quickly he could change from a serious mood to a silly one. "Reaper Creeper on the wall, am I the fairest one of all?"

And when the nefarious little coin scurried over to White, he passed a hand through his bleached locks with an air of vanity, as though it was the answer he was expecting. "Damn, I'm good. Even The Reaper acknowledges my awesomeness." I rolled my eyes to the heavens.

"Okay, I've had enough of this." I lifted my finger off of the coin, although he didn't. "I just want to enjoy my tea now, so if you wanna keep playing around with it, be my guest. I'm done here." The bite I took out of my croissant was one I took with a vengeance.

"Hmmm… I've got time for one last question before my appointment, so I'll be sure to make this a good one." Eiji was alternating his gaze from me to the board and back again in the most unsettling way imaginable. The eyes were narrowed, he was stroking his chin like an evil crime lord, and that smirk of his had a worryingly sadistic air about it… What was going on in that dirty mind of his? Maybe it was better to not know…

"I've got it!" he cried, like a million light bulbs had lit up inside his head. The aura in his eyes was brighter than the sun. "The perfect question!"

"Whatever it is, I don't wanna hear it!"

"Really? Don't you want to hear what I want to ask about _you?_"

"No!" I replied forcefully. "I can't hear you. La la la la…!"

"I want to ask this really burning question about you, Ai… Heh heh…"

Like what? ! Knowing Eiji Oji, he might ask something so twisted that he would outdo himself. There were already a few examples floating about in my head and none of them were good, like maybe what colour I preferred for underwear!

"Reaper…" He purposefully drew out each syllable with excruciating slowness. "Creeper…"

"Hey… Stop it, Eiji." My hands were getting clammy with fright.

"Is…"

"NO!" I slammed my hand onto his, pinning it in place. "Don't say anything!"

He cringed a bit from the pain, but it didn't faze him much, if at all. "You really don't want to know, Ai?" he said with that trademark evil smile of his, "I'm just dying to know… all those delicious secrets you must be hiding… Ah… that inextinguishable glow in the shadows that the darkness cannot hide…"

"Look, Eiji. Don't say a thing, okay? ! Just keep quiet!"

"Well, what about –"

"QUIET!"

"…"

"Hey! What did I tell you about not saying a word? !"

He sighed, amused at my panicky self. "But '…' is not a word…"

We just sat there, not shifting an inch. He gazed into my eyes, while I just glared into his. Seriously, what should I do with this guy? !

"Stop that inner monologue of yours!" I snapped.

"I didn't say anything."

"That's just it! You didn't say anything, but you definitely implied it! I can tell from that perverted grin on your face!"

He just laughed. "Well, I don't have any argument for that, but all I can say is… I can't get enough of the sights and sounds of Ai when you're in an enraged state. It's simply adorable."

Just as I was about to send another harsh scolding his way, I was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Ai! And… Eiji?"

We turned to look, and just as I had thought, it was Makoto. Ack! I didn't expect to bump into him here! Mina wasn't around though. They must have gone their separate ways after whatever they were doing.

Out of my mouth tumbled a flurry of words. "Oh! M-Makoto! Ahaha… H-How you doin', yo? !" I felt so weird talking to him knowing fully well that I was spying on him just moments earlier. And for some unimaginable reason, I had greeted him in street talk.

"If it isn't ol' Mick!" said Eiji cheerily. "Looking swell as usual!"

"Same to you, Eiji," Makoto smiled, nodding. "Yeah, um, what're you guys doing?"

"Just spending some quality time with the Reaper, Mick. We're just playing around with this Reaper Creeper thing, you see? 'Cause Ai's been curious about a few – OW!"

I made sure that Makoto couldn't see that I was grinding the heel of my foot into Eiji's toes. And to divert attention away from that, I made my smile extra-sunny. "Ahahaha! It's nothing, really. It's been a while since I played it and I just wanted to give it a go. Fun stuff." He winced when I pressed down a bit harder, but he just covered up his pain with a grin that looked suspiciously like a grimace.

"Uh, really?" There was an almost indiscernible frown on his brow that suggested puzzlement. "You guys seem to be more like spending quality time with each other instead."

"Huh?"

I trailed his line of sight to see where he was looking. And that was when I realised too late I had made a ridiculous blunder…

Remember when I slammed Eiji's hand on the table to stop him from asking whatever he wanted to ask the Reaper? Well, apparently, I had forgotten to take away my hand which was resting on top of his, and now it looked like we were getting cozy with each other…

Argh, no! This wasn't happening! In front of Makoto, no less!

"N-No! We're not… you know… holding hands and stuff!" My arms were flailing, and I was panicking. What should I say to resolve this terrible predicament? ! It just wouldn't do to have him think that I was in love with Eiji… "Please don't misunderstand! It's not what you think!"

Eiji muttered inaudibly to himself, "Oh dammit… Now this is awkward." He wasn't comfortable with this too.

However, Makoto simply laughed. "Ai, you don't need to be so bashful when it comes to romance. It's not a bad thing to fall in love with someone…"

"But…" I protested, getting restless seeing that I was losing this battle. "I'm not in love with Eiji, honest! I wanted to spend time here by myself and he just happened to come along!"

Makoto ignored my fruitless explanation and patted me on the shoulder lightly. "Now, now, Ai… don't get so worked up over something like this." I had a good reason to get worked up alright! "Right, I still have some things to take care of – the job of a number cruncher at an office is never done. I wouldn't bother you guys anymore so you guys keep having fun, yeah?" He had this wide grin that showed he genuinely felt happy for me, but that wasn't what I wanted him to feel… Not at all!

I made one final desperate attempt to get through to him. "Makoto, listen to me!" But he was already hurrying away.

Eiji called out, "Mick, dude, it's not what you think it is."

Makoto wasn't listening. "Sorry, I gotta dash. Busy busy!"

And he was gone.

I didn't even get the chance to rise from my chair; I was glued to it the whole time. My arm, outstretched as though to reach out to him, was frozen in mid-air, like someone had sprayed me with liquid nitrogen. The awful reality of the whole matter had sunken in, dragged me down into the quicksand of hopelessness. In my mind I was struggling to escape, but there were no branches nearby to grab hold of. It just sucked me down, down, down…

"Okay, that didn't go so well," groaned Eiji, "and I know how terrible you feel right now, but could you let go of my foot?"

In frustration I jabbed my heel in to crush his toes one last time, and he let out a strange noise… a cross between the bellowing moo of a cow and the sound made when gargling on mouthwash.

Clawing my scalp with my fingers, I just sat there in a cloud of gloom. "Ugh… This is a nightmare."

"Hey, Ai, sorry about all that's happened." He started massaging his sore foot. "But you're the one who touched my hand in the first place."

"I know… That's what makes it even more maddening! I brought this upon myself!"

Eiji just sat there, deep in thought, while I breathed a sigh of defeat.

I shook my head. "What will I do now? ! Makoto thinks I'm going after you, which is so not true!"

"Well, yeah, but –"

"I can't have him thinking of me as another one of those fangirl idiots who chase after some pop superstar! That'd be horrendous!"

Eiji let out a small grim laugh. "…I'll take that as a compliment. But seriously, Ai… You can't think when you're jumping around like an Energiser bunny. So first things first: calm down."

"Fine." It wasn't like I could do anything right now anyway.

"If you're so worried about Mick getting the wrong idea, then you should clear things up with him. Simple as that."

"I know, but I don't really know how…"

"Just tell him the truth. I'm sure Mick will understand."

I sulked. "You sure? Makoto seemed to be a firm believer in the whole Ai-and-Eiji-are-dating thing."

"Mick's been my friend since high school," said Eiji proudly, "He's not as shallow as most of the other guys are. If something weird happens, he'll pull back and mull it over. He's no idiot."

That's true… Makoto's intelligent and few things can sway him. He may not always have the perfect way to perceive a situation, but he always thinks it over carefully and thoroughly, examining it from all possible angles so that he wouldn't miss any important details. It's partly due to his sound logic that he's become such a successful, if struggling, businessman.

"By the way," said Eiji, "you _do_ like him, right?" The smallest smile curled up on his lips.

"What are you saying? !"

"But then hey, I'm stupid to ask." He rolled his eyes and threw his hands in the air. "You'd just deny it anyway."

"Look, will you cut it out? ! I-I'm just worried that Makoto wouldn't want me as a friend anymore." I just knew I was starting to blush…

"Heh heh. Yes, yes, you keep telling yourself that. Hey, you know? Incidentally, the question I wanted to ask the Reaper just now was, 'Is Mick in love with Ai?'"

My blush grew redder. "Wh-What? !"

"Heh. We could play this Reaper Creeper thing again to find out. I mean, we still have the board and all. But…" He paused for a second, fingering the previously possessed coin. "But I think you should find out the answer to that on your own, Ai. And not with Reaper Creeper."

I stared at him in confusion.

"Do you have a fever, Eiji?" I asked suspiciously. "You don't sound like you're kidding."

He sighed. Apparently The Prince could feel exasperation too. "I guess I can't help being a natural joker most of the time, but I'm seriously serious. Reaper Creeper's nice, but hearing the truth from Mick's own mouth beats the heck out of black and white hands-down."

Eiji had a point. What he was trying to say was that I stop floundering and confirm the truth with Makoto's own words. So that meant that at some point, I would have to ask him directly.

"Besides," he added, "your set's broken anyway."

"Yeah…"

He rose from his seat. "Okay, I gotta run; it's time for my appointment. Good luck." And he left.

I stared at the Reaper Creeper set laid out on the table before me. Eiji was right. Reaper Creeper's not the way to deal with things.

If I wanted answers, I would have to wait for Sunday to come around. That video game convention… That was where I would finally resolve all of the doubts and questions in my head. Until then, I'd just have to be patient and try not to get… too awkward with Makoto and Mina.

There was one last thing I wanted to ask the Reaper before I headed back home. I placed my finger on the coin.

"Reaper… Creeper… Have you been messing with me?"

Just as I suspected, the coin moved to White.


	11. 11: Secret Love Affair?, Part Three

**Moon and Sun (Part 11)  
><strong>by BrDPirateMan

Sunday. The day of the eagerly-awaited video game convention. Today I was going to get to the bottom of the mysterious matter of Makoto and Mina.

It was nine in the morning, and the doors of the main Molco building remained shut, but there was already a startlingly large crowd of people waiting outside, numbering about a hundred – possibly much more – all of them video game hobbyists naturally. They were excited about all the games they could be playing in the near future. The convention wouldn't officially start in another thirty minutes, making me wonder if they could survive that long without suffering a nervous breakdown… or shattering into a million pieces.

Gathered in a separate group, like birds from a different flock, were a bunch of people dressed in angular and gaudy outfits that screamed weird. Some of them had their hair dyed strange colours, others were brandishing cardboard swords and other fake weapons. Cosplayers? Apparently the fans had found these bizarre characters interesting and were taking photos of them. Now where in the world did they get their hands on green hair dye?

The doors finally swung open and the rabid pack of fanatics swum into the building like a living wave. Time to get to work. I headed inside.

Inside, on the ground floor, was the large central area where all the booths were set up. Several video game companies had gathered here, and each one had at least two or three games to showcase to the public. A bevy of beautiful, scantily-clad receptionists – "booth babes" or "game gals" as they're so often called – were stationed at each booth to help move things along, convince people to try out playable demos of their upcoming games, and to answer any queries that the inquisitive gamers might have. And to pose and have their pictures taken. Maybe _that_ was their main purpose…?

The place was filling up quickly and it wouldn't be long before jostling would become common. It was time for me to get busy too. There had to be a Tin Pin booth somewhere… I just had to find it. Then hopefully, I'd find Makoto… I didn't want to have to see his stressed-out face from having to explain himself, but I had to do this. Poor Makoto.

The video game adaptation of the Tin Pin franchise was allegedly the biggest and most popular part of the convention. The throng of people was thickest and hardest to penetrate around the Tin Pin booth. What was it about this game that was pulling in the crowds? I could think of at least a dozen other things that were more fun than Tin Pin, like netball or shopping or even beating the stuffing out of Eiji. I failed to see how a game where you knock pin-like things against each other could have appeal that lasted more than five seconds.

Through a veil of characters of all kinds I could just about make out a couple of receptionists hard at work, conversing with some people. I ventured closer, pushing past a schoolgirl, a guy in a blue jacket, and a wannabe samurai warrior trying to fix his broken sword… uh, spear… gunblade… what the – it transforms? !

And when I finally made it to the front (though _front line_ would be a more appropriate expression), I got a good look at the girls manning the booth. They were wearing matching uniforms – a tiny white one-piece dress with dark blue piping, cut off at mid-thigh like a mini-skirt, with a scoop neck and the top part made halter-neck style. They could work the look well… the stuff of men's dreams, I suppose. I wouldn't wear something like that, though… Not something for a conservative person like me.

I found one of the receptionists desperately trying to keep up with the machine-gun pace of an overly enthusiastic fan's questioning.

"So then," said the fan whom she was talking to, "how many different characters does the game have?"

"There are seven as of now, but – "

"Ooh! So there're secret characters? !"

"W-Well, we can't really say at this point, although – "

"What about the new pins? I heard there are over 300 of them! Is the legendary Golden Pin included? What about Guard Breaks? They always do them in the show! You can't _not_ have those, right? Any co-op? How many players does multiplayer support? Is there a fusion system like in the show where we can mix pins to create new ones?"

"Um… uh… help? !"

Poor girl… Glad I wasn't her…

The other one, who I believed was supposed to serve me, had her back turned to me as she was hurriedly downing a bottle of water. I could not see her face. Then she spun round to serve and talk to me.

"Sorry for the wait!" she chirped. "What can I do for –"

The instant I saw her face, I recoiled in total shock and let out a yelp of surprise. "WAAH!"

But she wasn't the least fazed. Her eyes lit up, she slapped her palms together in excitement, and she squealed, "Ai! You came! You really came!"

Still reeling, I pointed a shaking finger at her and blurted, "MINA! Wh-Wh-What're you doing here? ! And… And why are you dressed like that? !" She was one of the receptionists? !

Not caring about the onlookers who were now staring at us, she was a happy little bunny with an extra-large grin. "I've been waiting for this moment!" She unlocked the low-slung door that kept fans out and receptionists safe inside their booths. She came out and locked it back from the outside, and her colleague – the unfortunate young woman stuck with the crazy fan – seemed to panic, saying, "Wait, Mina! Wh-Where are you going? !"

"I'll just be a while," replied Mina. "Just a tiny little while! Hold down the fort for me, will you?"

"Wh-What? But…!" The girl was nervous… Apparently, she was quickly getting overwhelmed by all the attention that was directed at her and needed someone to accompany her and ease her worries. I felt sorry for her…

"Pretty please?" pleaded Mina adorably, her hands held together in a praying position to signify begging. "I'll buy you lunch!"

After a little hesitation, her workmate gave in. She nodded to Mina to acknowledge and accept her offer and went back to answering more questions at a feverish pace. …Would she be alright? Maybe I should call an ambulance to get ready to whisk her away in case she collapsed or something…

As Mina was dragging me off to a less crowded area where we could talk, I voiced out my concerns for her hapless co-worker. "Hey, will she be alright?"

She chuckled, "I'm buying her lunch, so she'll be okay! Nothing like a little food as a good incentive, right?"

"Th-That's not the point…"

"So anyway, are you surprised?" Her grin was as wide as the Great Wall of China is long.

It took me a while to find my voice. "Surprised is putting it lightly. I never for once thought you'd be working here as a booth babe!"

"It was all worth it seeing the look on your face!" she giggled. "That's why I kept this a secret from you."

Secret? "What do you mean, 'secret'?"

"I'm talking about the fact that I volunteered as a receptionist for a video game convention, of course."

"So then… when I asked for us to come here together, and you refused, this was the reason?"

"Yeah." She smiled goofily and gave an ambiguous shrug. "I mean, as an official staff member, I have to come here early to prepare and everything, right? That meant I wasn't able to accompany you. It's how it works, you know?"

That was when I suddenly recalled the conversation we had over the phone earlier during the week.

_Mina had said, "The convention will be a blast, Ai! I'm glad you're going. I'm going too!"_

"_Alright, it's settled! Let's go together to Molco on Sunday! We'll meet up near that 'phone booth of love' and then we can –"_

"_Oh! No wait, I… I wouldn't be able to make it on time."_

"_Huh?"_

"_I'll… uh, be a bit late on Sunday. There's something that I need to do. So just go ahead! I'll catch up."_

"_If you're sure you can't make it, then I'll just go in by myself first. Incidentally, why can't you make it anyway?"_

"_As for that, well… It's a secret!"_

Mina fibbed that she couldn't come with me simply because she had to get ready for her job inside the building… Changing into her uniform, helping to prepare her booth… the works. One mystery solved there, and I was glad, but there was something else…

"Wait a sec," I said, "Just to change the topic a wee bit… Wasn't there some rule where 'only people who are actively involved in the convention can know what's going on about it'? So another reason you've been keeping your job a secret is…"

"Bravo, Ms Sherlock-Holmes-of-Shibuya. Yeah, everyone who has access to information about this convention, from the organizers to us receptionists, had to sign an agreement to not divulge any of it to the public. I couldn't tell anyone a thing, even if I wanted to. And of course, I couldn't tell you either." She pressed her index finger against her pursed lips to denote silence and gave me a playful wink. "So you see, I was just being a good girl and keeping my word."

So that meant she and Makoto were in this together as colleagues. In that case, it would be easy to understand why both of them were so tight-lipped about everything… though it was because Mina opened her big mouth that this entire fiasco happened in the first place.

"Hey, when did you sign up for this crew, Mina?"

"There was a classified ad in the paper about a few weeks back, looking for 'female receptionists to help out at a video game convention'. I thought it would be fun, so I contacted them and long story short, I got the job."

"Well, being the video game fanatic you are, this should suit you. Like it so far?"

"I love it!" she beamed. "This is so cool! It's the best thing I've done ever. I can share the joys of gaming with so many people… It's like every time I talk to someone new, I'm spreading this joy further! And this dress is just _wicked_."

"Um, yeah… wicked." I shuddered. That was one low-slung scoop neck…

"You're supposed to give me a better compliment than that," she sighed. "Where's your enthusiasm? Where's the high-five and playful butt slap?"

"Butt slap? !"

"You need to loosen up, Ai. Come on. Now, as a token of our unending friendship, take this!" As swift as lightning she grabbed me by the shoulders and swiveled my entire self the other way. I scarcely had time to react before I felt the sting of my behind being given a nice hard slap… minus the nice.

"EEK? !" Darn it, that stung! And people were staring!

But Mina didn't care for the unnecessary attention. She was laughing like the mischievous imp she was. "That voice of yours is hilarious! You could totally land the part of one of those teenage victims in a slasher flick – HNGH!"

I had the side of my hand embedded in her head. "No. More. Butt. Slaps. Okay?"

"You don't play fair," she groaned, rubbing the bump on the top of her head. "A receptionist's got to rely partly on her looks to reel in the people, you know! You could have placed my employment in jeopardy by giving me an ugly bruise on the forehead."

"Uh-huh. Doesn't that outfit make you feel, you know, vulnerable? It's awfully revealing."

"Eh, it's fine. It gets hot around here with so many people around, so it's probably a good thing I'm wearing this… Oh! I've got a spare costume! Wanna try it out?"

"Um… I-I'll give it a miss."

"Why not? If you wear this hot little number, you can give Makoto a big surprise! He may even get a nosebleed… Ho, that'd be fun to watch!"

The blood in my cheeks was churning. "N-No way! It's embarrassing, isn't it? !"

Suddenly a male voice cut in from somewhere, "Mina, there you are! I need to borrow you for a minute!" A young man, dressed in a business suit, had called her from afar and was coming over.

I gasped. And upon seeing me, the man also drew back in surprise. The man… He was…

"M-Makoto!" I cried. Speak of the devil! My brain drew a blank for a few moments. Uh… What was I doing here again? !

"Ai! It's really you!" he said, looking chipper despite his heavy workload for the day. Was that a forced smile on his face, though? Was he tired from all the work, or… was it something else?

Mina cleared her throat. "I'm gonna leave you two to it, okay? I've got to get back to work. Have fun!"

"Not so fast, Mina," he stopped her. "Something came up and I need your help. Come with me."

"But Ai is here. Shouldn't you, um, get sappy and romantic with her instead?" That trademark cheekiness of hers couldn't drip any thicker… Makoto was about to reply, or get cross with her or whatever – actually, I wanted to do the same, for that matter – when suddenly there came a series of loud girlish screams from nearby. What was the commotion about?

There was a man trapped in a crowd of teenage girls, all bouncing and going gaga over him. Clearly there was something about him that was irresistible. That boyish charm of his was practically oozing out of his person.

"Wow, this is a bind I'm in," he whistled, dazzling everyone with his smile, "I can't get anywhere, but I'm so glad you girls love me."

Stammered one girl, "Can I have your autograph, please, Your Highness?"

"Oh, anything for you, dear," said the man soothingly. "I'm in such a good mood that I may very well do a dozen autographs, _just for you!_"

The girl, overwhelmed by a surge of fangirlish dizziness, fainted on the spot. She had to be dragged away by some of her friends, but this did not perturb the famous man in the least.

"I love this place, and I absolutely love Tin Pin! F it! F for Fabulous!"

"Eeeeee!" The girls were hysterical. Madness ruled the day. "He F'd it! He F'd Tin Pin! We love Tin Pin too!"

"Wait a minute…" I muttered. "Oh god no." He happened to glance our way, and when I saw his face, I went pale.

"Eiji!" I shrieked in horror. Not him again! And this was the third unexpected surprise today after Mina and Makoto! It was all becoming a bit clichéd, to be honest… like one of Mina's terrible jokes…

He immediately saw us and shouted in a friendly way, "Hoi, Mick!"

"Well, if it isn't The Prince himself," said Makoto with a smile. Mina gave a small wave.

Eiji gave his fans one last dashing grin which made their hearts flutter. "Nothing can quite say how happy I am to meet all of you wonderful girls," he said warmly, "but I must go and say hi to my friends for a bit. And though it pains me to have to part ways with you, rest assured that every one of you has a proper place in my heart."

More girls swooned. Those who were still standing looked like they too were ready to drop dead.

"Now then, would you be so kind as to let me through? You're such darlings." A simple wave of his hand, and the girls parted at his command like magic. Amidst a lot of sighing and manic squealing, they hauled their unconscious friends away to wherever. I inwardly sighed myself, but out of exasperation. Were these girls simpletons? They were in love with a pervert.

He sauntered over, with a spring in his step. He was feeling good, especially after that overdose of attention from the members of one of his many faithful fangirl clubs. Must've given him a quick burst of endorphins or something. "Mick, good to see you here!"

Makoto was happy to see his longtime buddy. "Heh, same here!"

"And you girls are looking great as usual!" gushed Eiji, gazing at Mina in particular. "Mina, you look fantastic! Your getup is worthy to be F'd! F for Fabulous!"

"Oh, Eiji, you're too kind," chuckled Mina, playing along with his flattery. "How about putting my photo up on your blog? It could use a bit of… decoration." That giggle of hers as she shielded her smile with the back of her hand was awfully suggestive…

"I thought you'd never ask! The moment you appear on 'F Everything' you'll set the standards for Shibuyan fashion everywhere." His words had better not come true… The crime rate around these parts was high enough as is…

"Awesome! I can hardly wait!"

Eiji and Mina were two of the kookiest characters in my life. They were great together… Like me, Mina had known Eiji when he was still in high school and vice versa, but she was strangely invulnerable to his charms, probably because she saw him as just a friend. That was why the two could joke around with each other comfortably.

"Hey guys," said Makoto, "I know it's been a long while since the four of us schoolmates got together, but I'm afraid Mina and I are gonna have to settle some work-related matters. Eiji, take care of Ai for me, will you?"

I gaped at him in horror. "What? !"

"Always a pleasure, Mick!" grinned Eiji. The crazy fellow looked like he was going to pounce on me any minute.

"But… But…!" No, not again. I didn't want to be stuck with this guy again! He'd seriously outrage my sanity!

"Come on, Mina!" called Makoto. And she hurried away with him, trotting nimbly on her knee-length boots. Both disappeared together into the crowd like a pair of ninjas.

Ngh…! There went my best chance to talk to him. No choice but to wait for another opening now… And something about Makoto's behaviour puzzled me. The way he acted towards me… Even though that trademark friendly smile was there, why was it that it seemed like he wanted to avoid me? Was it because of the misunderstanding that arose from me touching Eiji's hand?

Ha ha… It couldn't be, right? Because if that was the reason, it would mean that Makoto was… jealous? And if he was jealous, it would in turn mean that he… liked me romantically? And if he did like me in a romantic sense, then it would also mean… it would mean… um…

Ooh… My head hurt.

No use thinking too much. Without anything to do, I turned the opposite direction to slink away, dejected, but I only bumped straight into Eiji. Literally.

"Ow!" I rubbed my face where I had hit it. "Oh cripes, I forgot you're here."

"How mean of you… But you know, Ai, I think this is fate," said Eiji, going into poetic mode. "Ah… the wonders of astrology… They say that when the planets align in a straight line…"

I made haste and slipped past him, shaking my head. Geez! What a fruitcake!

"Whoa, wait, Ai! Is this how you treat a friend? Come on, give your old school buddy a hug. A nice big one to commemorate our reunion –"

I smartly whirled round and struck him right in the middle of his face in one smooth unbroken motion. He just stood there, frozen in mid-chase, with my hand stuck between his eyes. On hindsight, looking at how he was so comically immobilized, it was kind of funny. At that time, however, being tailed by the King of Perverts wasn't funny at all. Some gamers were staring. I paid no heed to their excited cries of "Whoa, dudette! That's, like, a perfect Swirling Palm Strike!"

"I tell you not to touch me…" I growled. "I tell you so many times… and you don't listen…"

He tried rubbing the hurt out of his nose. "Well, I can't help it, you know. It's basic instinct. If I'm hungry, I eat. If I'm tired, I rest. And if my favourite school buddy shows up, I want to play with her a little…"

"Eiji, you need a life."

"Messing with you _is_ part of what makes my life so colourful." And with that he laughed.

It made the hair on my neck stand on end to know that out of all the girls he had met, he liked teasing me the most. What was his problem? !

Growing tired of him very fast, I snapped at him, "Enough! Why are you here anyway? !"

"To tell you the truth, I'm here to check out that new Tin Pin game everyone's been raving about. I'm a fan, you know."

"So… you're not here as part of some promotional campaign or something? I'd have thought it'd be that."

"Nope, I'm just a normal visitor here," he said, smiling, "though with all the attention I'm getting, I feel more like a VIP." VIP meaning Very Irritating Pest…?

"Hmph. Must be nice to have innocent girls eating out of your hand. You tell them to run a marathon, and they'll gladly do three in a row, _just for you._" The last three words were a sarcastic mimicry of what he said to the first fan who fainted only minutes earlier.

"Why, that's so very true! Thank you for noticing. You're such a darling."

"It's not a compliment!"

XOXOXOXOXO

"Looks like they've even got a set of Tin Pin tables," said Eiji, "to really heat things up in the Tin Pin department." We were watching a group of young gamers competing fiercely with each other. "The organizers sure covered all the bases."

I stood there with my arms crossed, bored stiff. As a dabbler in this silly game, he had some knowledge of how it worked, and he kept telling me how fun it was, but failed to win me over. Pretty much everything he said went over my head… or through one ear and out the other.

Without anything to do since Makoto was busy, I was stuck hanging out with Eiji. Talk about a stroke of bad luck…

"It's a game where strategy and fast reflexes combine for an unparalleled experience," he continued, impressed with the players' skills. "You have to think fast, or you'll get slaughtered!"

"Uh-huh. That's nice."

"Ai, you're not listening."

"I'm not interested, okay? Stop trying to convert me to Tin Pinism. In fact, there's nothing here that's interesting to me."

Eiji fixed me with a quizzical look. "Then… why are you here?"

Uh-oh. Not another one of those I've-painted-myself-into-a-corner moments! I didn't want to tell him that I was here solely because of Makoto. No one but Mina was supposed to know that I was in love with him. It might work to my disadvantage if he knew.

I couldn't trust Eiji anyway! What if he got terribly drunk on another one of their guys' nights out, and spilled the beans to Makoto? Heck, he might even include my secret within the lyrics of his next song! The last thing I wanted to hear from him was a song called "Age-Gap Love"…

_Age is just a number…  
>And I don't care one bit…<br>That my crush is six years older…  
><em>'_Cause my love is such a hit!_

Argh! How horrid!

Eiji was awaiting my answer. But I said firmly, "Hey, just because there's nothing interesting to see, doesn't mean I can't come."

He just laughed. A cheeky, evil little laugh. "Oh yes, that's true. After all, even if there's nothing worth seeing, there's always Mick, eh?"

"Y-You!" I spluttered. "It's not about him, okay? !"

"I bet you're worried that one of those hot receptionists will seduce him. He's a normal guy like me, after all. Susceptible to a woman's charms…"

"No! Th-That's not it…" I never thought of that. Makoto was in grave danger, wasn't he? !

"You needn't worry about that part," he said gleefully. "After all, it's my job to charm _them_ first!"

I didn't know whether to thank him or throw him out the window.

He continued, "But anyway, any luck with your investigation?"

"What investigation?"

"Your probing into the relationship of Mick and Mina… Hmmm… Those two names have a nice ring to them! Kinda like Mickey and Minnie, don't you think?"

"D-Don't say nasty things like that," I scolded. "And if you're so curious to know, I have no idea what's going on. Makoto's tied up with work and I haven't gotten round to talking to him."

A voluminous cheer poured forth from the crowd of onlookers. The pin of one of the two competing players had been knocked off the table, falling into a gutter built conveniently around and just below the rim. The player who had won – some kid with his head swathed in a red bandanna – was whooping his victory, while his opponent loathed his defeat, pulling his hair out and doubled over in what looked suspiciously like pain.

"Nooo!" he wailed. "My modded, re-re-retooled pins are supposed to work! How could this happen? !" He looked ready to kill himself…

When the cheering had died down, and the player who lost just… withered, I carried on talking, "I… I just know Mina's not the type for him, so why… Why would he want to go out with her?" Without knowing it, my voice had dropped to almost a faint whisper. There was a very good possibility that Makoto was getting cosy with her, and to make things worse he actually had to misinterpret the situation with me and Eiji. It was one heck of a double whammy and my dreams were crumbling to dust.

Would Makoto forever be that amazingly perfect man whose heart I could never reach?

Instead of teasing me again, Eiji just took in every word I said. After I was done, he spent a while to think about it.

"Ai," he began, "you've known him for so long now. Do you seriously think Mick's the type to dig girls like Mina?"

"Wha…? He… Uh… I don't know…"

"Okay, let me put it another way. Mick and Mina… do they match?"

Makoto and Mina?

A moment of thought. Then, "Not really… They don't really match… At least, that's what I think." …And hope.

"If that's what your gut feeling tells you," he said, "then why don't you listen to it? It might be right."

"But…"

"Don't give up. Mick's always telling me how strong-willed you are. If you get a task you'll see it through to the end. He loves how you never quit in anything you do."

I blushed. "H-He says that? You're not pulling my leg again, are you? You've never been one to stay serious for five seconds."

"That was uncalled for," said Eiji, who was chuckling despite my stinging remark. "If you don't believe me, why don't you ask him yourself?"

"N-No! That's… I can't do that!"

He laughed at my reaction. "You've always been the headstrong type, Ai. Immovable, like a boulder! Though I hope you don't weigh as much…"

"So then… what are you proposing that I should do?"

"I already told you a few days back. You need to find the answers out for yourself…"

"…and not with Reaper Creeper, I remember. So I need to talk to him."

"That's a good girl," he said, patting me on the head. I hated how he did that, but this time… it didn't feel so bad. Maybe Eiji wasn't such a shallow guy after all, if he could give surprisingly good advice like this.

Suddenly there was another batch of cheers, but it wasn't from the Tin Pin crowd. The source of the noise was behind us, where yet another gaggle of Prince fangirls was in the midst of star-struck euphoria. They charged straight at their idol like a herd of buffalo, shoving me aside in the process like a rag doll.

All I heard coming out of their mouths was a cacophony of crazed, excited sentences. "Eeeek! It's The Prince! Please can I have your autograph? Can I take a picture with you? I really love your music! Take my babies!" …What? !

"Calm down, girls," he called, holding up his hands in an attempt to quiet them which didn't work very well. He turned to me. "Ai?"

I was picking myself off the floor, nursing my slightly grazed elbow. "Y-Yeah?"

"I'm going to be rather busy here… You're on your own now. Don't let me down. You can do it." He shot me a supportive smile from above the ring of fans.

For that faltering split-second moment, even I thought Eiji was cool. I nodded in thanks.

"Ai?" said one of the fangirls.

"Who's that?" asked another.

"One of our competitors? !" At the words of the third girl, all of them turned to me, glaring at me with eyes of hatred. Some were snarling, ready to rend me asunder. Urk! This was my cue to leave. Never underestimate the collective power of a bunch of angry fangirls!

"H-He's all yours!" I blurted, making my escape. "Seriously, I'm not gonna interfere!" Camouflaged within the crowd, I felt safe… for now.

Better watch my back from now on… I just hoped that I wouldn't have to spend the rest of my life in constant fear of them hunting me down. There'd be no peace until they either grew out of their fangirl phase, or grew old altogether and kicked the bucket. Whatever the case, something told me it wouldn't be anytime soon…

Alright! Now that my confidence had been mostly restored, nothing was going to stop me! This had dragged on for long enough. It was time to settle this!

But would I be prepared for what was in store for me?


End file.
